Have you ever felt that annoying dry eye feeling? It’s a common affliction, and most of us have felt it to some degree. Although somewhat familiar and at first not that serious of a condition, it can lead to vision impairment when left untreated.
If you think you might be suffering from dry eye syndrome, don’t hesitate to pay us a visit. As with most eye conditions, the earlier dry eye is diagnosed and treated, the likelier you are to preserve your vision. With our state-of-the-art dry eye treatment facilities, we’re ready to help your eyes get some hard-earned relief. Book an appointment today, and get rid of that dry eye feeling.
What is Dry Eye?
Dry eye, also called dry eye syndrome, is a very common eye condition that affects 16 million Americans. Dry eye occurs when your eyes aren’t producing enough tears to keep themselves properly wet. Or when the tears your eyes produce are of low quality. This imbalance can cause irritation, redness, and blurry vision.
Dry eyes may seem harmless, merely an annoyance. This isn’t the case though, as untreated dry eye can lead to serious health problems, like infection and even corneal scarring. So if your dry eye symptoms persist, contact us before dry eye takes a toll on your eyes.
How Improper Tear Balance Causes Dry Eye
Since your tears are part of what keeps your eyes healthy and nourished, an imbalance in tear composition or production can cause problems. To understand how this imbalance can lead to dry eye, it’s necessary to understand the composition of our tears.
The Lipid Layer
This is the outermost layer of your tears and is responsible for preventing your tears from evaporating. It’s composed of oils produced in the meibomian glands, and dysfunctions in this gland can cause evaporative dry eye disease.
The Aqueous Layer
This layer, the middle part of your tears, is mostly composed of water and is what keeps your eyes hydrated. It’s produced by the lacrimal glands, and not enough production by these glands is one of the most common causes of dry eye syndrome.
The Mucus Layer
This layer is composed of mucus responsible for keeping your tears adhered to your eyes and is the innermost part of your tears. It’s what makes our tears stick to the eye’s surface.
Dry Eye Risk Factors & Symptoms
While dry eye disease can have many causes, some people are more likely to develop it than others. You are at a higher risk of developing dry eye disease if you:
- Are least 50 years of age
- Wear contact lenses
- Spend too much time looking at digital screens without taking breaks
- Take certain medications, like antihistamines, blood pressure regulators, and antidepressants
- Have diabetes
Dry Eye Symptoms
The most common dry eye disease symptoms are:
- Itchiness
- Redness
- Watery eyes
- Blurred vision
- Burning sensation
The Dangers of Untreated Dry Eye
While dry eye disease may not seem like an urgent issue, it can severely damage your eyes and negatively impact quality of life when left to its own devices. Untreated dry eye disease can cause conjunctivitis, reading difficulties, an inability to wear contact lenses, driving difficulties, and lesions on your eyes called corneal ulcers.
These corneal lesions are serious and can lead to corneal scarring. This scarring affects the cornea’s ability to accurately focus light, clouding your vision. If this corneal injury happens as a result of underlying dry eye disease and it’s left untreated, it can lead to blindness in some cases.
Don’t Leave Your Eyes Out to Dry
Dry eyes are common and mostly known for being annoying. But dry eye can severely hamper your quality of life and have lasting consequences. To help you deal with this problematic eye condition, we offer a variety of treatments. From eye drops and oral supplements to state-of-the-art procedures like LipiFlow, we can help.
Don’t let this simple but concerning condition take any of your precious eyesight away. We at EyeZone Nevada are proud to offer some much-needed relief to our dry eye patients. Book an appointment today and find out how we can help end your dry eye related problems.