Have you ever experienced a feeling of dryness in your eyes? Dry eyes are a fairly common condition that occurs when your tears cannot properly lubricate your eyes. Many reasons can contribute to dry eyes, and it can be extremely uncomfortable. It may be a chronic problem, or you may experience an acute exacerbation owing to environmental factors.
Whatever may be the cause behind dry eyes, it can be a painful condition and significantly impacts your life quality. Therefore, it mandates prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
What Causes Dry Eyes?
The main cause for dry eyes is inadequate tear production, leading to improper lubrication. Many systemic illnesses and environmental factors can contribute to reduced tear production. Women, especially those in their menopausal period, generally tend to experience dry eyes more commonly than men.
Some of the most common causes of lower tear production are systemic illnesses such as:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Thyroid disorders
- Lupus
- Infections of the eyelid
- Certain medications including: Medicines for high blood pressure, allergy, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety
Environmental factors also play a key role in the acute exacerbation of dry eyes:
- Long screen time
- Living or traveling to a windy or dry climate
- Smoking or being exposed to smoke
Symptoms of Dry Eyes
- Burning or stinging in the eyes.
- Blurred and distorted vision, especially while reading or performing intricate tasks.
- A need to scratch or rub the eyes because you feel there is something gritty in the eyes.
- Red and irritated eyes.
- Discomfort and pain while wearing contact lenses.
Diagnosing Dry Eyes in Dearborn Heights
A comprehensive eye examination in Dearborn Heights is crucial for diagnosing dry eyes.
Schirmer’s test is used to measure the volume of tears produced. A blotting strip is placed under the lower eyelids. After five minutes, the strips are measured for the volume of tears produced. Tests to conduct and determine the quality of your tears are also conducted to analyze the type of dry eyes.
A tear osmolarity test is conducted to analyze the composition of particles and water in your tears. Tear samples may be collected to look for markers of dry eyes and confirm the diagnosis.
How are Dry Eyes treated?
It is essential to find the reason behind dry eyes it to treat them. In cases where an underlying disorder causes dry eyes, it becomes imperative to address it.
Lubricating teardrops will be prescribed for mild to moderate and occasional dry eyes. It helps lubricate the eyes and relieve uncomfortable symptoms.
In some situations, oral medications, as well as medicated eye drops, may be prescribed to reduce the inflammation in the eyes, stimulate tear glands and restore tear production ability of the eyes.
Surgical procedures may be used in cases of chronic and severe dry eyes. The tear drainage holes are closed temporarily to let the volume of tears remain in the eyes for a bit longer.
Intense-pulsated light therapy also reduces dryness of the eyes at Metro Vision.
In some cases, you may also benefit from a specialty and customized contact lens fitting, which helps reduce dryness.
If you have any more questions or wish to schedule an appointment at Metropolitian Vision Associates, please reach out to us. Our team of excellent optometry professionals will be there to assist you.