What is dry eye?
Dry eye is a condition causing inadequate tear production or poor-quality tears. This leads to the obvious problem of dry eyes, but often also causes a variety of other symptoms, including:
- Red eyes
- Burning eyes
- Tired-feeling eyes
- Itchy eyes
- Sore eyes
- Foreign body sensation, causing eye grittiness
- Watery eyes
If you suffer from dry eye symptoms, it’s important to understand that it’s a real condition that requires treatment. If dry eye isn’t treated, the symptoms could get worse, even growing pronounced enough to cause blurry vision.
Why do I have dry eye?
There are many possible reasons for dry eye, including:
- Natural eye moisture decrease with aging
- Hormone changes, particularly in women
- Drugs including antihistamines and hypertension medications
- Diseases like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis
- Excessive digital screen time on computers, phone, or tablets
- Dry, smoky, or windy climate
- Wearing contact lenses for too long
Other factors can contribute, too. Refractive eye surgery like LASIK can lead to dry eye in some cases. So if you already suffer from dry eye, you might not be a candidate for LASIK.
What is involved in dry eye diagnosis?
The Nicholas Rutkowski, O.D. and Associates team reviews your symptoms and performs a comprehensive eye exam to diagnose dry eye. This includes checking your eyelids, blink dynamics, a slit-lamp corneal exam, and measurement of your tear quantity and quality.
As part of your diagnosis, the team considers your lifestyle and environment to determine the root cause of your dry eye.
What is the best solution for dry eye?
Dry eye treatment depends on your particular needs.
Lifestyle changes
Sometimes, you only need to change a few things in your life to relieve dry eye. For example, using the 20-20-20 rule for screen time: every 20 minutes, shift your gaze 20 feet away for 20 seconds to help keep your eyes moisturized. Wearing eyeglasses, adhering to strict contact lens care guidelines, and other customized recommendations can also help with dry eye.
Eye drops
Nicholas Rutkowski, O.D. and Associates offers Restasis® for treating dry eye. Restasis is the only prescription eye drop that can boost your natural tear production. Many patients find that Restasis is a better solution than simply adding artificial tears or using punctal plugs in your tear ducts.
The caring team helps you overcome dry eye with tailored solutions. Reach out to Nicholas Rutkowski, O.D. and Associates by phone for Illinois dry eye treatment now.
