Dry Eye Syndrome

The tears your eyes produce are necessary for overall eye health and clear vision. Dry eye means that your eyes do not produce enough tears or that you produce tears that do not have the proper chemical composition. Often, dry eye is part of the natural aging process. It can also be caused by blinking or eyelid problems, medications like antihistamines, oral contraceptives and antidepressants, a dry climate, wind and dust, general health problems like arthritis or Sjogren's syndrome and chemical or thermal burns to your eyes.

Signs and Symptoms

• Watery eyes
• The feeling that something foreign is in your eyes
• A burning sensation
• Vision that becomes blurred after periods of reading, watching TV, or using a computer
• Red eyes that produce a mucus discharge

Detection and Diagnosis

Our doctors can check for dry eye by examining your eyes with magnifying instruments, measuring your rate of tear production and checking the amount of time it takes for tears to evaporate between blinks. The doctors can also check for pinpoint scratches on the front surface of the eye caused by dryness using special, colored eyedrops call fluorescein or Rose Bengal.

Treatment

If you have symptoms of dry eye, come see us for a comprehensive examination. Dry eye cannot be cured, but we can prescribe treatment so your eyes remain healthy and your vision is unaffected. Some treatments that we might prescribe include blinking more frequently, increasing humidity at home or work, using artificial tears and using a moisturizing ointment, especially at bedtime. In some cases, small plugs are inserted in the corner of the eyes to slow tear drainage. Sometimes, surgical closure of the drainage ducts may be recommended.

A wonderful new drug, Restasis has proved to be very valuable in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. This drug, when used for a period of time, allows the tear producing glands to regenerate and produce a far better quality of tear.