Dry Eye

Most people have experienced the feeling of dry eye at some time. The condition can range from a mild irritation to a long-term condition associated with great discomfort or pain and can affect your vision. Dry eye is very common but people who suffer from it shouldn’t think they just have to live with it, as there are several treatment options.

What is dry eye?

This common condition occurs when your tears can’t provide adequate lubrication for your eyes, due to a reduction in the quality or quantity of tears. This tear film comprises three layers that work together to keep your eyes moist and protected. The top oily layer helps to prevent evaporation of tears. The middle, watery layer is the thickest layer, and the sticky bottom layer helps the tear film to adhere to the eye. If anything upsets the tear film, it can become unstable or evaporate. This results in dryness and inflammation of the cornea (front of the eye).

What are common symptoms?

  • Red, scratchy, sore, or itchy eyes
  • Burning or stinging sensations A feeling of having something in your eyes
  • Crusty eyes (excessive ‘sleep’ in the eye)
  • Blurred vision that changes after a blink
  • Eyes feel ‘heavy’, tired or fatigued
  • Watery eyes (this may seem counter-intuitive but if the surface of the eye dries out completely you may have ‘reflex’ tearing resulting in watery eyes)
  • Difficulty wearing contact lenses comfortably
  • Sensitivity to light

What causes dry eye?

Dry eyes are caused by a lack of adequate tears. For some people, the cause is decreased tear production. For others it’s increased tear evaporation and/or an imbalance in the composition of your tears. Common causes include:

Ageing

While dry eye can occur at any age, it becomes more common later in life, especially after age 50

Hormonal changes

Such as menopause

Certain health conditions

Including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid disorders, scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome and Vitamin A deficiency

Some medications

Including antihistamines, antidepressants, certain blood pressure medications, hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills

Laser eye surgery

Though symptoms resulting from this procedure should only be temporary

Environmental conditions

Dry, smokey or windy environments

Blinking less often

Which tends to occur when you’re concentrating, such as while reading, driving or working on a computer

Tear gland damage:

From inflammation or radiation

Blepharitis

A common eye condition (e.g. crusty lids) that affects the eyelids, resulting in dry eye

How is dry eye diagnosed?

An optometrist is the best person to diagnose dry eye. They will conduct tests that investigate tear production and tear evaporation and examine the integrity of your tear film. They may also instil special dyes into the eye that reveal specific areas of dryness or irritation.

How is dry eye treated?

Treatment depends on the type and severity of the condition, as well as by identifying the cause of the dry eye and personalising a care plan. Avoiding certain environmental triggers including excessive heating and cooling often helps. Treatment may include daily eye drops or warm compresses to relieve the symptoms of dry eye. We offer an in office Blephasteam treatment to help unblock the meibomian glands in the eye lids. Your optometrist may also recommend omega-3 supplements to help reduce inflammation of the tear oil glands. Tiny plugs can also be inserted into the tear ducts to slow drainage of tears and increase tear volume at the eye surface. Recently, a new technique called intense-pulsed light therapy (IPL) followed by a massage of the eyelids has proven to help some people with severe dry eyes.

For a full range of treatment options visit our page Dry Eyes.

If you feel that you are suffering from dry eye, contact us to make an appointment with one of our optometrists. We can help you with the best treatment for your condition.

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Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

*Appointments outside of these hours may only be available by special prior arrangement.

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We can be found in the beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland.

We are not in the main shopping street of Cooroy but are located nearby just 3 doors up from Eden Private Hospital.

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