Help! I have Dry Eye

Dry eye can make daily activities difficult and downright miserable. If you experience redness, blurry vision, itching, light sensitivity, or a gritty feeling in your eyes, you may be suffering from a condition called the dry eye. When tears aren’t providing enough moisture to the eye, dry eye can result. Here’s what you need to know about dry eye and what you can do to feel better today.

Why we need tears

Even on our happiest days, our eyes are full of tears. Tears assist with creating moisture and lubrication to maintain eye comfort. The ingredients found in tears include water, oils, mucus, and antibodies that all work together to maintain an ideal environment for your eyes. If you have dry, it might be in indication that your tear ducts are not working right. Dry eye can also be caused by aging, the side effects of drugs, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s Syndrom, and eye problems that won’t allow your eyes to close properly.

How to treat dry eye

Dry eye is very common in the climate we experience in Meridian and Caldwell. Here are specific ways you can help soothe your dry eye problems:

• Avoid excessive exposure to the wind or forced air environments. To protect your eyes from the weather, there are special sunglasses available to help diminish your exposure.
• In a society where we are constantly staring at phones, computers, and other screens, we may forget to blink. If your eyes are feeling dry, remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will help you remember to blink and rest your eyes.
• Use artificial tears. Artificial tears help lubricate the eyes and relieve itching and redness. You may need to try more than one brand before you find the best fit for you.

If these suggestions do not work, you may require special treatments like punctual plugs, Mibo ThermaFlo, punctual cautery, or other tear alternatives like ointments.

Arrange a consultation

If you suffer from dry eye or think you might arrange a consultation with The Eye Associates today. You can reach our office by calling our office in Meridian: 208-342-5151 or Caldwell: 208-459-0717.