You may have experienced a feeling of irritation, tearing, blurred vision, and/or eye pain that seems to occur at the worst possible time. You are working on a big project and have spent many hours in front of your computer or you are enjoying your child’s sporting event or even are watching TV and enjoying your favorite shows and these symptoms will occur out of the blue. You may use eyedrops that help to soothe your eyes but it is only a quick fix as these symptoms come right back again. The real question is why does it happen? The truth is that there are many factors that can cause dryness of your eyes. There can be environmental factors like wind, lack of humidity in the air, allergies, heating and cooling systems and more that will dry out your eyes. There are also systemic conditions that can also dry out your eyes which include many of the auto-immune diseases (Sjogren’s Syndrome) or some medications like anti-histamines for allergy treatments which can also dry out your eyes. People that wear contact lenses can also suffer from dry eyes as well.
The different treatment options include OTC lubricating eye drops that can help for mild cases or to use with contact lens wear but this option is often temporary and may not work the best. For cases that are moderate to severe there are other options fo prescription eye drops and/or punctal plugs. Restasis is a product that helps increase the production of tears due to the low-grade inflammation that occurs with chronic dry eyes. Punctal plugs are tiny plugs made from either collagen or silicone that are inserted in the drainage holes called the puncta. They help keep your natural tears from draining too quickly. With some cases you may need both to help treat your dry eyes.
There are millions of Americans that suffer with dry eyes annually and may not know the best treatment options. Your doctor can best assess your level of dry eye using different testing methods and can come up with the best treatment option for you. Please call today for an appointment (860) 233-2020.
