What is Dry Eye Disease?
More than 16 million Americans suffer from dry eyes. Dry eye disease occurs when your tears do not provide adequate lubrication to the surface of your eyes. There are two main causes of dry eyes: insufficient amount of tears on the surface of the eyes or poor-quality tears.
There are three main parts to our normal tear film:
- Aqueous layer: the water-like component to your tears. This is the main component of your tears and helps support the other two layers.
- Lipid layer: composed of an oily substance that is secreted from the Meibomian glands of the eyelids. These oils help to prevent your tears from evaporating too quickly.
- Mucous layer: composed of mucins that help to coat the cornea and distribute the tears evenly across the surface of your eye.
Causes of Dry Eye
There are a variety of causes of dry eye disease. The main causes include: medications, autoimmune diseases, seasonal allergies, and age. Although these are the main causes, there are many other reasons why your eyes may feel dry or irritated. Our doctors will do special testing to diagnosis your specific type of dry eye and the best course of treatment for you.
Symptoms of Dry Eye
There are many signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Some of the more common symptoms are”
- Excessive watering
- Redness
- Blurry vision or fluctuating vision
- Itchy/gritty/burning
- Foreign body sensation
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, our doctors are here to help! We will walk you through the treatment options best suited for you and make sure we keep your eyes feeling and looking their best!