Almost everyone experiences the uncomfortable gritty feeling of dry eyes from time to time, but for many people having dry eyes is a chronic condition. Dry eye syndrome, also known as ocular surface disease, is an increasingly common disorder that happens when the eyes don’t produce the right amount or quality of tears. Tears are made of three separate layers of oil, water, and mucus, and are vital for keeping your eyes comfortable and healthy.
Dry eye syndrome is a common condition that we diagnose and treat at East Tennessee Eye Surgeons. We have diagnostic tests that can quickly and accurately diagnose the severity of your dry eye syndrome. And because dry eyes are often a symptom of other eye diseases, like macular degeneration, it’s also vital to rule out other causes when diagnosing dry eye syndrome. Once we understand what’s behind your dry eye symptoms, we can then recommend any combination of treatments, most of which usually involve ongoing, at-home care strategies.
Compresses can be useful for soothing pain caused by dry eye inflammation and to help stimulate the natural secretion of healthy oils and tears. Compresses help stabilize the eye’s tear film, improve oil gland function, and slow tear evaporation.
Lubricating eye drops are also beneficial, and are often necessary for treating dry eye syndrome. However, there are many types of eye drops for numerous eye conditions, and using the wrong eye drop can actually worsen dry eye symptoms. The goal of using any drop for dry eye syndrome is to increase moisture on the surface of the eyes and relieve the gritty sensation of dry eye syndrome.
In addition, some patients with dry eye syndrome find that taking a daily multivitamin with essential vitamins and minerals that are specifically beneficial for eye health can help reduce dry eye syndrome symptoms.
Compresses, eye drops, and supplements can all work together to help stimulate the natural secretion of healthy oils and tears to soothe dry eye irritation. The key to knowing which combination of treatments and products might best serve you is to start with an accurate diagnosis of your dry eye syndrome.
You may be a candidate for scleral lenses, or it may be that using products like eye drops, compresses, and supplements is sufficient to remedy your dry eye symptoms. Regardless, rest assured that there’s a solution. When properly hydrated and lubricated, your eyes will feel refreshed and rejuvenated. So, if you’re ready to be free from the irritating symptoms of dry eye syndrome, we’re here to help.
East Tennessee Eye Surgeons specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of both common and complex eye diseases. With two locations at 7800 Conner Road in Powell and 744 Middle Creek Road, Suite 200 in Sevierville, East Tennessee Eye Surgeons delivers the highest quality eye care in an exceptional setting. Visit our website to learn more about us, or call us at 865-546-1464 (Powell) or 865-908-7008 (Sevierville).