Dry Eye

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Dry Eye

The tears play an important role in maintaining the visual health and comfort of the eyes. When the tear ducts fail to detect the need for tears or when the tears do not contain a sufficient amount of oils and mucus, it can result in a condition known as dry eye. Dry eye is associated with a number of symptoms, including:

  • Discomfort
  • The feeling that there is sand or debris in the eye
  • Itchiness
  • Redness
  • Blurry vision
If you have experienced these symptoms for an extended period of time, make an appointment at Tech Ridge Vision to have diagnostic testing performed to determine if you suffer from dry eye.

Types of Dry Eye

Dry eye may occur as the result of poor tear composition or poor tear production.

  • Poor tear composition ‐ The tears are made up of a mix of water, oils, and mucus. The water provides moisture, the oils provide lubrication, and the mucus helps the mixture to evenly coat the surface of the eye. If the ratio of any of these elements if off, it can cause dry eye.
  • Poor tear production ‐ In some cases, the patient is unable to produce enough tears on his or her own.

Dry Eye Causes

There are many causes of dry eye, including:

  • Dry air such as that caused by:
    • Air conditioning
    • Heat
    • Wind
  • Medications including:
    • Anti-histamines
    • Drugs used to lower blood pressure
    • Anti-depressants
    • Acne medications
    • Hormone replacement drugs
  • Ectropion
  • Entropion
  • Certain medical conditions:
    • Thyroid disorders
    • Diabetes
    • Rheumatoid arthritis
    • Lupus
    • Sjogren’s syndrome
    • Scleroderma
    • Vitamin A deficiency
  • Tear gland damage

Risk factors for dry eye include:

  • Age ‐ Tear production diminishes with age. Dry eye is more common in patients over the age of 50.
  • Hormonal changes/menopause ‐ Dry eye is common in women that have gone through menopause.
  • LASIK ‐ Some patients have experienced long term dryness after LASIK surgery. Patients that are at risk of dry eye should not undergo this type of laser vision correction surgery.
For some patients, contact lenses may also result in dry eye.

Dry Eye Treatment

The following treatments may be recommended to treat dry eye:

  • Antibiotic eye drops ‐ If your dry eye is caused by a lack of oil in your tears, you may be prescribed antibiotic eye drops to reduce eyelid inflammation. Eyelid inflammation may be obstructing passage of oil into the tears.
  • Steroid eye drops ‐ Steroid eye drops may be prescribed to reduce corneal swelling.
  • Lubricating eye drops ‐ Artificial tears, or lubricating, eye drops may be purchased over the counter to relieve the discomfort caused by dry eye.
Many of our patients experience good results after taking medication or applying eye drops to treat dry eye. If more aggressive treatment, such as temporary or permanent punctual occlusion, or surgery is required to treat dry eye, our optometrists can refer patients to a surgeon skilled in treating dry eye.

Please contact us today to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience.