Dry eye symptoms
When your tears are not providing adequate moisture, you may notice a gritty feeling in your eyes, or like you have a particle of dust trapped on the surface of your eye. Dry eyes will also itch, be blurry, or have light sensitivity. In a rather confusing case, dry eyes sometimes generate too many tears! When there is not sufficient moisture within the eye, the nervous system receives a distress signal for more tears. In response, the body supplies extra tears. That problem with this scenario is that because these are ‘emergency’ tears, they do not have the same antibody or lubrication ingredients as normal tears. The result is continued dry eyes.
Dry eye treatment
In the majority of dry eye cases, your eye doctor will recommend artificial tear drops. These may be prescription or over the counter depending on the type you need to address your specific problem. Remember that there are a lot of artificial tear options, so don’t be put off if the first brand you try doesn’t seem to feel just right. It is normal to try a few before landing on the right fit.
Other options for treatment include temporary punctal occlusion which closes the duct that drains the tears from your eye. A non dissolving punctal plug may be used or a temporary one. Other treatments include medication, altering your diet to include more omega-3s and fish oil, Lifitegrast, Cyclosporine, or testosterone cream.
Arrange your consultation
If you suffer from dry eye symptoms, call Richen’s Eye Center today. For more information, contact our office at 435.986.2020 (St. George), 435.628.1112 (St. George on Sunset Blvd), or 702-346-2950 (Mesquite).
