Terry L.
Tucker, O.D.
Dry eye is a
condition in which there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish the
eye. Tears are necessary for
maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear
vision. People with dry eyes either do
not produce enough tears or have poor quality of tears. Dry eye is a common and often chronic
problem, particularly in older adults.
With each
blink of the eyelids, tears are spread across the front surface of the eye,
known as the cornea. Tears provide
lubrication, reduce the risk of eye infections, wash away foreign matter in the
eye, and keep the surface of the eyes smooth, and clear. Excess tears in the eyes flow into small
drainage ducts, in the inner corners of the eyelids, which drain in the back of
the nose.
Dry eyes can
result from an improper balance of tear production and drainage.
People with
dry eyes may experience symptoms of irritated, gritty, scratchy, or burning
eyes, a feeling of something in their eyes, excess watering, and blurred
vision. Advanced dry eyes may damage the
front surface of the eye and impair vision.
Treatments
for dry eyes aim to restore or maintain the normal amount of tears in the eyes
to minimize dryness and related discomfort and to maintain eye health.
The
development of dry eyes can have many causes.
They include: Age, gender,
medications, medical conditions, environmental conditions, and many other facts
(long term use of contact lenses and refractive eye surgeries}.
Dry eyes can
be chronic condition, but your optometrist can prescribe treatment to keep your
eyes healthy, more comfortable, and prevent your vision from being
affected. The primary approaches use to
manage and treat dry eyes include adding tears, conserving tears, increasing
tear production, and treating the inflammation of the eyelids or eye surface
that contributes to the dry eyes.
Adding tears
in mild cases of dry eyes can often be managed using over-the-counter
artificial tear solutions. Preservative-free
artificial tear solutions are recommended because they cause fewer irritations.
Conserving
tears is an additional approach to reducing the symptoms of dry eyes by keeping
the natural tears in the eyes longer.
This can be done by blocking the tear ducts through which the tears
normally drain.
Increasing
tear production by using prescription eyes drops that help to increase
production of tears can be recommended by you optometrist, as well as omega -3
fatty acid nutritional supplements.
Treatment of
the contributing eyelid or ocular surface inflammation by prescription eye
drops or ointments, warm compresses and lid massage, or eyelid cleaners may be
recommended to help decrease inflammation around the surface of the eyes.
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