Dry Eyes

What causes dry eyes?

Some of the causes of dry eyes include:

• Infections
• Strain from overuse (such as long hours staring at a bright computer screen)
• Lack of sleep
• Wearing contact lenses too long, improperly, or in an environment with excessive smoke in the air
• Allergic reaction to irritants in the air or on your skin

Dry eye syndrome refers to a breakdown in the quality or quantity of tears that moisten, cleanse, and protect your eyes. Your tears wash away dust and microorganisms and protect the surface of your eye when you blink. A blend of water, mucus, and fatty oils make up your tears. Dry eyes occur when you don’t have sufficient tears.

When your protective coating of tears dries up, your eyes might feel gritty and become more sensitive to light. In more extreme cases, vision can become blurred.

For some people, dry eyes can be the result of decreased tear production. It can also be caused by increased tear evaporation and imbalanced components of the tear mixture.

What causes eye allergies?

Multiple factors can cause eye allergies and irritation, such as:

• Smoke
• Plant spores
• Seasonal allergies
• Molds
• Certain chemical cleaning products
• Skin products, eye care, and makeup
• Hairsprays and other cosmetic products

Consistently red and dry eyes can be a sign of excessive inflammation of the eyes (uveitis) and certain diseases.

What are the treatments available for dry eyes?

Columbia Eye Associates & Family Focus Eye Care provides proven-successful treatments for dry eyes and eye allergies, including allergy medications and oral antihistamines.

Your optometrist might suggest artificial tear supplements, gentle eye scrubs and ointments, and decongestant eye drops that constrict blood vessels to decrease any redness.

Special nutritional supplements can also be helpful to reduce your symptoms due to the beneficial essential fatty acids.

If medications are the cause of your dry eyes, with the guidance of your physician, you might want to gradually decrease or discontinue your medications or switch to another option.

Your optometrist might suggest punctal plugs for more significant cases of dry eye — tiny silicone plugs inserted in ducts in your lids to slow tear drainage away from your eyes and help keep your eyes moist.

In some cases, a procedure called cauterization could be beneficial, involving the application of heat to the puncta in each eye. This is performed under local anesthesia to permanently close the duct and prevent tears from draining out of your eyes.

Find the relief you deserve and treat your dry eyes with the help of qualified optometrists. Call Columbia Eye Associates & Family Focus Eye Care or use the online scheduling tool today.