Dry Eye Treatment

How does Dry Eyes Affect my eyes?

Dry eyes are affecting more people each day. In fact, recent studies have shown that 50% of the population in Atlanta are suffering from dry eye symptoms. Dry eyes affect your vision by causing blurriness, irritation, redness, itchiness, and many additional vision complications. The reduction in tears leaves your eyes open for infection, abrasions, ulcers, and can lead to permanent vision loss if left untreated. The good news is that there are several ways to treat dry eyes. The eye doctor can diagnose and provide a treatment plan for your dry eye condition.

Living in the Atlanta area, working on a computer for long hours and/or cell phone, and contact lens wear can all exacerbate the effect of dry eyes. Dry Eyes can also cause irregular vision from day to day due to the fact that your tears are a large portion of your visual acuity. Without a regular layer of tears, you can experience an irregular astigmatism.

What are the signs of Dry Eyes?

• Watery Eyes (Yes, watery eyes)

• Discomfort with Contact Lenses

• Fluctuating Vision

• Sensitivity to light & glare

• Mucous in and/or around your eyes

• Difficulty in Night Driving

• Itchiness/Irritation

• Redness

• Burning Sensation

What can cause Dry Eyes?

Dry eyes can be caused from many things including;

• Excessive Computer/Near Vision Work

• Contact Lens Wear

• Smoking

• Diabetes

• Weather Changes (Air Conditioning/Heat)

• Physical Location

• Poor Tear Quality (oils, lipids, & mucus)

• Blocked Meibomian Glands

• Blocked Tear Ducts

• Medical Diseases Such as Sjogren's Syndrome

• Vitamin A deficiency

• Thyroid Issues

• Age

• Work Environment

• Poor Diet

• Hormonal Change / Gender

Do your Eyes Feel Dry, Gritty, or Irritated?

You may have Dry Eyes and treatment for your condition is available whether it is Chronic on Sporadic. Dry eyes can affect not only your day to day life but can greatly affect your vision. Working on a computer, night driving, sports, and many other daily activities can be affected. Our Roswell eye care staff can assist you with questions and treatment options for you. Schedule an appointment scheduled so your eyes can be evaluated for the best possible options.

Are Your Eyes Watering Excessively?

This may seem counter intuitive but water eyes are a sign of dry eyes. When your tear ducts are blocked the tears have nowhere to go. Watery eyes can be a sign of dry eyes due to irritation, dryness, bright light, smoke/wind, chemical exposure, and/or blockage in your drainage system. Having your eyes evaluated specifically for dry eyes is crucial to overall eye health and vision.

Do you spend hours a day reading, on a phone, gaming, or computer work?

Near work can cause additional strain on the eyes and exacerbate dryness. Many working professionals spend a great deal of their work day (4+ hours a day) working in up close environments in meetings, on mobile devices, pcs, tablets, architectural work, surgery/medical services, which all increases dryness of the eyes. Because you do not blink when working on a computer or close up device your eyes are not rehydrated naturally with tears.

How can I treat my dry eyes?

Treatment of your dry eyes is dependent on what is causing the root of the problem. The ducts (drainage system) may be clogged up, the cornea could irregularities, the meibomian glands could be dried up/blocked or not producing the correct level of water/lipid layers, the ph balance of your tears themselves may be off, or many other reasons. Symptoms can be relieved through heat masks, eye drops, eye spray, cleansing wipes, and/or DED Vitamins. Contact us to find the best relief for dry eyes.

Other treatments include IPL services that can lead to much better and long lasting results. IPL uses a targeted heat system with light to open up your Meibomian glands and give instant relief. This spa like treatment has many health benefits and each case is treated differently. Many points of your dry eyes will be considered before giving you the best Dry Eye treatment plan including age, skin type, severity of dry eyes, cause, and many other health factors. Contact our Atlanta / Roswell staff today to see what treatment options are available to you.