Dry Eye

Dry eyes can affect anyone. Your eyes may become dry only in certain situations, or you might have chronic dry eyes. The optometrists at Atlantic Eye Consultants, with offices in Melbourne, Merritt Island, Titusville, Rockledge, and Palm Bay, Florida, can help relieve the dry, itchy, and uncomfortable symptoms that accompany dry eyes. You don’t have to put up with eye irritation. Call the practice today to make an appointment or book through the online form.

What causes dry eyes?

Dry eyes occur when you’re unable to make adequate tears, or your tears evaporate too quickly. This can be because your body doesn’t create enough tears, or because the makeup of your tears — a mixture of fatty oils, water, and mucus — is unbalanced. Several factors can cause these conditions, including:

• Aging
• Blinking less
• Damaged tear gland
• Hormonal changes
• Laser eye surgery
• Medical conditions
• Medication
• Wind, smoke, or dry air

Your optometrist may ask you questions about your lifestyle during consultations. This is to ascertain whether you’re more at risk of dry eyes so that he can create a preventive care program for you.

What are the symptoms of dry eyes?

The signs of dry eyes are easy to identify and include: 

• Blurred vision
• Burning, scratchy, and stinging eyes
• Difficulty driving at night
• Eyelid inflammation
• Light sensitivity
• Red eyes
• Stringy mucus around the eye
• Tired eyes
• Trouble wearing contact lenses

It sounds strange, but you may also experience watery eyes with dry eyes. This is because your eyes are overproducing tears to counteract the dryness, but not the right kind of tears. Although this is your body’s natural way of handling the issue, if it continues for a prolonged period, you need to seek medical advice. Your doctor can ease the symptoms of dry eyes and identify the cause so he can treat the problem at its source.

How can you treat dry eyes?

There are several ways to treat dry eyes. Atlantic Eye Consultants' methods are designed to manage your symptoms, prevent your vision from being affected, and keep your eyes healthy. They include:

Increase tear production

Prescription eye drops increase your tear production. Omega-3 supplements can help too.

Add tears

If your dry eye condition is mild, you can often treat it using standard, over-the-counter artificial tears. Simply place drops in your eyes each time they feel dry to ease discomfort.

Conserve tears

Eye doctors can block tear ducts with tiny, removable gel or silicone plugs. Or, if your dry eye is severe, surgery can block tear ducts permanently.

Treat eyelid inflammation

Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a cutting-edge technology that your provider uses to treat dry eyes by addressing eyelid inflammation. Warm compresses, eye drops, eyelid cleaners, and lid massage can also help reduce inflammation around the eye.

Personal habits

Drinking lots of water, increasing the humidity in your home, blinking regularly, wearing sunglasses outdoors, and taking nutritional supplements can all reduce dry eyes.

Dry eyes are uncomfortable, but the team at Atlantic Eye Consultants offers expert eye care to provide relief from the symptoms. Book an appointment through the website online or over the phone.