Why Should I Treat My Dry Eye?

August 15th, 2019

Dry eye is a common condition that affects millions of people every year. The disease creates many different symptoms that cause irritation and discomfort.

These symptoms include eye pain, redness of the eyes, puffiness, and in some cases even watery eyes. Getting rid of these chronic symptoms is reason enough to want relief from dry eye.

There is an even more important reason to seek treatment. Long-lasting dry eye that isn’t treated can lead to worse problems.

Our eyes need tears to hydrate, lubricate, and protect their surfaces. When the tears are lacking in quality or there aren’t enough being produced, it can lead to issues.

These include eye infections, chronic inflammation, corneal abrasion, and painful ulcers. This leads to vision problems and a decrease in quality of life. Keep reading to learn why you need to treat your dry eye!

How Dry Eye Treatment Works

There are several methods to treat dry eye, but choosing the right one depends on what’s causing your dry eye. In most cases, the two main causes of dry eye are if you’re producing enough tears and if they are low quality. Dry eye can also be a combination of the two.

Punctal Plugs

If you are not producing enough tears, one solution is to have punctal plugs inserted. These plugs get inserted into the drainage canals of your eyes.

The plugs force your tears to stay on the surface of the eye longer. Another option is prescription drugs to stimulate tear production. You may also receive special eye inserts that release eye lubricant over the course of the day.

Meibomian Gland Expression Therapy

When our eyes produce tears, they are made of three main components. These are water, mucus, and oil.

If you have dry eye, it usually means that your tears are lacking one of the three main components. In most cases, it is often the oil that is missing.

This is because the glands located in your eyelids that produce oil can become blocked up with wax. If the glands do become blocked with wax, you can have the wax removed.

This is with a therapy called meibomian gland expression. It is painless, even relaxing, and doesn’t take long.

Gentle vibrations and warm compresses safely break apart the wax so oil can flow again. Your eyelids may also become blocked because of inflammation.

If inflammation is the source of your blockage, you’ll be prescribed antibiotics.

Be Smart With Your Eyes

Don’t forget that prevention is the best way to solve any problem. Avoiding habits and environments that cause dry eye is helpful!

If you know that you have dry eye, make sure to stay away from things that will make it worse. This means buying a humidifier for the winter or avoiding air conditioning in the summer.

Tired of living with your dry eye symptoms? Schedule a dry eye appointment at the Laser Eye Center with Dr. Lee in Huntsville, AL today! Your dry eyes will thank you!