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Explanation of Dry Eye Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
What is Dry Eye?
Dry eye-related discomfort is one of the most common complaints heard by eye doctors. The symptoms of dry eye syndrome vary depending on the individual case, however, patients that suffer from dry eye usually experience a number of the following symptoms:
- Redness
- Dryness
- Scratchiness
- Blurred Vision
- Foreign body sensation
- Burning sensation
- Sandy/gritty sensation
Dry eye syndrome, often referred to as keratitis sicca or keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is caused by insufficient and/or poor-quality tears. There are three main components of human tears. The lacrimal gland produces most human tears. The oily component of tears is produced by the meibomian glands and the third component, the goblet cells, keeps all of the components mixed up. When one of the parts of this mixture becomes unbalanced, dry eye syndrome can occur. There are numerous reasons as to why these glands may not be doing their part.
Insufficient tear production and/or poor tear quality are among the most common causes of dry eye syndrome. Inflammation of the lacrimal gland is the most common cause of insufficient tear volume. Meibomian gland dysfunction, inflammation of the glands at the eyelid margin, contributes to poor tear quality. Medications can also cause ocular dryness. Hormonal changes may contribute to insufficient and/or poor-quality tears.
TearCare® for Dry Eye Treatment
If you’re looking for an advanced dry eye treatment option, explore the TearCare procedure. TearCare works by wearing adjustable technology that sends thermal energy to the meibomian glands, clearing up any blockages that result in dry eye discomfort. Learn more about this personalized, open-eye procedure when you contact us to schedule an appointment with our eye doctors.
Meet Karen – “Without the help of Dr. Chester, I would still be complaining about my eyes.”
Treatment Options for Dry Eye Syndrome in Cleveland, Ohio.
LipiFlow Treatment
LipiFlow is an office procedure designed to remove blockages in meibomian glands. This blockage results in rapid evaporation of your tears and can lead to irritation, discomfort, and if not treated, gland dropout. The LipiFlow treatment combines a gentle eyelid massage with heat to stimulate oils and reduce the symptoms of Dry Eye.
Meet Bridget – “LipiFlow changed my complete quality of life!”
Artificial Tears
Artificial tears containing active ingredients such as carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, glycerin, castor oil, polyethylene glycol or polyvinyl alcohol are used in mild cases of dry eyes. Not all artificial tear brands work the same or work in all patients. More severe cases require additional treatment.
If you find yourself using your artificial tears three or more times a day you should use a preservative-free tear. Most patients find that artificial tears do help, however, the effect is only temporary, lasting only 10-15 minutes. Most of these patients will experience significant relief with punctal occlusion.
Punctal Occlusion
The puncta is the small opening found on the edge of the upper and lower eyelids next to the nose. Tears drain out of the eye through the puncta into the nose, this is why your nose runs when you cry. If you aren’t producing enough tears then you don’t want the tears that you are producing to be drained away. Punctal occlusion is painless and performed in the office, taking only a couple of minutes.
Are you tired of living with dry eye? Take our Dry Eye Self-Test to get started on your path to dry eye treatment. Following your self-test, request an appointment with the dry eye specialists at the Cleveland Eye Clinic today!
Dry Eye Test for People Who Suffer from Dry Eye
Dry eye is a condition that can lead to severe discomfort, inflammation and blurred vision.
The dry eye test is a self-administered examination that can help identify the severity of dry eye. The test consists of two parts: the Schirmer’s Test and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.
A Schirmer’s Test measures how much tears are produced by placing strips of filter paper on the inside corner of your lower eyelid for 5 minutes. A score less than 10 millimeters means you have dry eyes. The OSDI questionnaire evaluates symptoms like itchiness, burning, redness and blurred vision over a period of 4 weeks to determine if you have dry eyes or not.
Our own Dr. Chester speaks about his experience with Dry Eye Syndrome
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