Dry Eye Treatment

While patients may experience dry eyes or irritation from time to time, they need to seek professional treatment when this occurs on a regular basis. Store-bought eyedrops may not be enough to treat the source or provide substantial relief from symptoms. Dry eye treatment involves professional medical prescriptions to help treat irritated sry eyes that occur regularly.

Dry eye treatment is available at Texas Optical in Dallas, TX and the surrounding areas. Dry eyes can occur when the tear ducts do not produce enough tears to properly hydrate and lubricate the eyes. The longer a patient struggles with dry eyes, the worse the condition will get.

If you want to put an end to your dry eyes and the constant irritation, contact us and schedule an appointment.

Professional dry eye treatment

Dry eyes can also be the result of tear ducts producing low-quality tears. Having dry eyes can lead to a number of issues, including red-colored eyes or a burning sensation. Other health conditions can also dry out the eyes like staring at a screen for hours or being on an airplane for extended lengths of time.

Dry eye treatment aims to make the patient more comfortable by treating the source of the issue. It can include making lifestyle changes and using eye drops to keep the eyes hydrated. Most treatments for dry eyes will help to alleviate the symptoms. The most common symptoms of dry eyes include:

Itchy or burning eyes
Mucus forming in or around the eyes
Increased sensitivity to bright lights
Redness of the eyes
Feeling like an object is stuck in the eye when there is nothing there
Discomfort when wearing contact lenses
Watery eyes
Eye fatigue
Blurred vision

Causes of dry eyes

While there are multiple causes for patients who struggle with frequent dry eyes, a common cause is when the body cannot produce a sufficient amount of tears. In order to keep the surface of a person's eyes clear of debris, the body produces tears that consist of mucus, fatty oils and water.

The tears can also help to protect against germs that cause infection. Dry eyes occur when there are not enough tears or the tears do not have the right consistency. In some cases, a person's tears can evaporate too quickly and also cause dryness. The medical term for a person not producing enough tears is keratoconjunctivitis and can occur from a variety of factors, including:

Aging
Certain medication like antihistamines
Health conditions like lupus
Laser eye surgery
Damage to the tear gland due to radiation or inflammation

A person's tears can evaporate more quickly in windy and dry environments. Lifestyle choices like smoking or staring at a screen for too long can also cause this problem. Low-quality tears that require dry eye treatment are usually caused by oil glands that produce one of the components of tears becoming clogged due to inflammation.

Popular dry eye treatment options

Dry eyes can be diagnosed with a comprehensive eye examination, measuring the patient's tear production and evaluating the makeup of their tears. Mild to moderate dry eyes can be treated with over-the-counter artificial tears.

Those with severely dry eyes need to have a medical professional address the underlying issue as soon as possible. Texas Optical will work with patients to help find an effective treatment method. The treatment can include: