Dry Eye
Dry eye occurs when the eyes aren’t sufficiently moisturized —
What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye occurs when the eyes aren’t sufficiently moisturized — leading to itching, redness, and pain from dry spots on the surface of the eye. The eyes may become dry and irritated because the tear ducts don’t produce enough tears, or because the tears themselves have a chemical imbalance.
Dry eye can be a temporary or chronic condition and can have many causes, which may include arid conditions (dry or windy weather), extensive computer use, aging, certain medications, injury, and surgery. Dry eye is not only painful, but it can also damage the eye’s tissues and impair vision. Fortunately, many eye care Oklahoma treatments are available.
Cause of Dry Eyes
The first priority is to determine if a disease is the underlying cause of the dry eye. If it is, then the underlying disease needs to be treated.
Causes include:
- Environment
- Medication
- Diet
- Contacts
- Poor tear-producing glands
Eye Care Oklahoma for Dry Eyes
Here at BVA, our staff will ask you a series of questions and use TearLab advanced technology to diagnose Dry Eye Disease. Depending on the cause of your dry eyes, our doctors may suggest a non-surgical treatment, recommend surgery, or a mixture of both. Since we all have different and unique eyes, we strongly recommend talking with your doctor to find the right treatment plan for you.
Free Patient Guide
This guide is intended to help you decide whether to use and how to use the TrueTear™ device to provide a temporary increase in tear production.
TEARLAB
TearLab is the single most accurate and objective test for diagnosing Dry Eye Disease. The test is fast, easy, and accurately generates an Osmolarity number, which provides significant information to your Doctor to aid in the early detection of Dry Eye Disease.
Possible Solutions with BVA
LACRIMAL PLUGS
Plugging the drainage holes at the small circular openings at the inner corners of the eyelids where tears drain from the eye into the nose can help dry eyes. Lacrimal plugs, also called punctal plugs, can be inserted.
These plugs are made of silicone or collagen, are reversible, and are a temporary measure. In severe cases, permanent plugs may be considered.
PUNCTAL CAUTERY
In some cases, a simple surgery, called punctal cautery, is recommended to permanently close the drainage holes. The procedure helps keep the limited volume of tears in the eye for a longer period of time.
ARTIFICIAL TEARS
Many artificial tears are over the counter and can treat low to mild cases of dry eyes. In most cases, if the natural remedies are unsuccessful, artificial tears or lubricating eye drops are the next step in solving your problem.
There are many different types of eye drop/artificial tear solutions. Each formula is designed to solve a specific problem your eye is facing, for example, aqueous-deficiency vs evaporating dry eye condition. Also, some brands will cause blurry vision for a short period of time; thus, it would not be wise to use while driving or in the workplace.
Due to the variety of formulas and brands, we recommend talking with a doctor to examine which solution is best for you.
NATURAL REMEDIES
Depending on the cause of your dry eye problem, natural remedies or lifestyle changes can be the best solution to your dry eyes.
If dry eye results from taking a medication, your doctor may recommend switching to a medication that does not cause the dry eye side effect.
If contact lens wear is the problem, another type of lens or reducing the number of hours you wear your lenses may be recommended. In the case of severe dry eye, you may be advised not to wear contact lenses at all.