Dry Eyes Specialist

What is dry eye?

Dry eye develops when you don’t make enough tears or make poor-quality tears.

You spread a tear film over your eyes every time you blink to keep them moist and comfortable. The tear film has three layers:

• Oily layer to reduce evaporation and keep the surface of the eye smooth
• Water layer to clean the eyes and remove debris
• Mucus layer to help evenly spread the water layer and keeps the eye moist
  
  

Changes in any layer of your tear film affect your eyes’ moisture, causing dry eye. A decrease in tear production also causes dry eye.

What are the symptoms of dry eye?

Dry eye symptoms vary, but you could experience a burning or stinging sensation. Other symptoms include:

• Gritty feeling in the eye
• Stringy mucus around the eye
• Excessive tearing
• Hard time wearing contact lenses
• Red, irritated eyes
  
  

Besides the discomfort, dry eye can also cause blurry vision. If you have these symptoms or any other vision changes, schedule an eye exam at North Shore Glaucoma Center & Eye Physicians.

In addition to evaluating your vision and eye health, the team performs a test that measures tear production to diagnose dry eye and determine its cause.

What causes dry eye?

There are many potential causes of dry eyes. For example, tear production slows down as you get older. You can also develop dry eye if you have rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Lifestyle habits can also cause dry eye, like staring at a computer screen for long periods without blinking or spending too much time in a smokey or dry environment.

People who wear contact lenses are at greater risk of developing dry eye. You might also develop dry eye if you have structural problems with your eyelids, like lids that are too loose and allow more tear evaporation.

How is dry eye treated?

After a thorough eye exam, the North Shore Glaucoma Center & Eye Physicians team creates a personalized treatment plan for your dry eye. Your plan can include:

• Over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tears eye drops
• Prescription eye drops
• Lifestyle changes
• Tear duct plugs to conserve tears
• Nutritional supplements
  
  

In most people, medical treatments improve dry eye. The North Shore Glaucoma Center & Eye Physicians team can perform surgery if your lower eyelids are too loose, causing dry eye.

Call North Shore Glaucoma Center & Eye Physicians today, or schedule your dry eye appointment online.