If you’re experiencing symptoms of dry, itchy, irritated eyes, you could be suffering from dry eye. Dry eye can lower the quality of your eye health and vision, making it imperative that you seek treatment. These FAQs from Eye Doctors of Arizona in Phoenix explain more about dry eye causes and treatment. For your convenience, we have locations in the North, Downtown and Biltmore areas.
What is dry eye?
Dry eye is an eye condition caused when your eyes stop producing quality tears to keep them lubricated and moist. Tears are essential to eye health and function. Healthy tears are composed of water, mucous, and oil in a balanced mixture. If these elements get out of balance, your tears will be ineffective in keeping your eyes moist. This can lead to dry eye syndrome. Insufficient tear production can also result in this condition.
What causes dry eye?
Age is a major cause of dry eye as tear production tends to diminish as you age, which can lead to dry eye symptoms. Certain medications and auto immune diseases, constant use of contact lenses, computer overuse, overexposure to wind and sun, and eye surgery can also impact tear production and composition, causing dry eye symptoms.
What are the symptoms of dry eye?
Red, irritated, itchy eyes are telltale signs of dry eye. Dry eye can also cause blurred vision and sensitivity to light. You may feel a grittiness in your eyes. Watery eyes can also be a symptom of this condition as your tear glands try to compensate for the dryness by producing more tears than normal. The poor composition of these tears, however, makes them of little help in lubricating your eyes.
Should I be concerned about dry eye?
Mild cases of dry eye may not be a cause for alarm. As your symptoms increase, however, dry eye could pose a risk to your eye health by causing damage to the cornea of your eye. Dry eye also lowers your resistance to other eye diseases and conditions.
How is dry eye diagnosed and treated?
Our ophthalmologist will check your symptoms and test your tear production and composition to diagnose this condition. Although there’s no cure for dry eye, we can help manage symptoms through the use of artificial tears, prescription eye drops, punctual plugs and other treatments. We can also recommend lifestyle changes that can minimize the effects of dry eye so you can enjoy improved eye health and vision.
See Our Phoenix Ophthalmologist for Dry Eye Diagnosis and Treatment
To schedule a consultation for dry eye syndrome, contact Eye Doctors of Arizona in Phoenix at our following locations: Downtown (602) 257-8280 Ext.1, North (602) 257-8280 Ext. 2 or Biltmore (602) 257-8280 Ext. 3.