Treatment Options for Dry Eyes at the Specialist’s Clinic

The dry eye condition might be a side effect of medications, a symptom of another health problem, or a long-term eye problem due to the environment. When you have such a condition, the symptoms might go away or get worse. Therefore, you should consider visiting an eye doctor near you for treatments to prevent its progression.

Causes of Dry Eyes

Temporary dry eye conditions might be a result of several factors. Environmental factors are the major causes of dry eyes. You might experience dry eye symptoms by being in a dry environment or wearing contact lenses for too long.

On the other hand, the chronic dry eye might be a result of an underlying condition. Health conditions that affect the eye glands, allergies, and skin diseases around the eyes might contribute to dry eyes.

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eyes

When you have dry eye syndrome, you might notice the following signs and symptoms:

• Stinging, itchiness, or a burning sensation in your eyes
• Stringy mucous around your eyes
• Difficulties or trouble wearing contact lenses
• Redness on your eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurry vision and trouble driving at night
• Heavy eyelids or tired eyes
• Trouble looking at a digital screen for prolonged periods
• Difficulties producing tears when you feel like crying

Sometimes, the above symptoms might go away after some time, while other times they progress. Therefore, you can consider contacting a Glendale optometrist for diagnosis and treatments.

Fortunately, the above symptoms are treatable. At the eye clinic, the doctor will recommend a treatment plan, depending on your eye condition. However, you should not use medications to treat such a condition without consulting your optometrist.

When to Seek Treatments from a Specialist

When you have signs of temporary dry eyes, your doctor might recommend artificial tears. However, if your eye condition is chronic, you can consider visiting an optometrist near you.

One of the scenarios that might compel you to seek professional eye care for dry eyes is if you are not capable of carrying out your routine activities. You can also seek professional eye care if you are experiencing the following:

• Your symptoms are not going away
• The cause of your condition is unknown
• You have tried home treatments without success

When you visit your optometrist due to eye dryness, the doctor will examine your eyes to determine the cause of your condition. Your dry eye specialist in Glendale, CA, will check if the dry eye condition is advanced.

If your condition is advanced, you might be at risk of eye damage on the front parts. Dry eye conditions can also lead to ulcers, scars, and pain on your eye surfaces, which affects vision.

Dry Eye Treatment Options

Treatment for dry eyes depends on the severity of the condition. Therefore, the dry eye specialist will recommend a treatment plan after examining your eyes.

At the eye clinic, the optometrist might recommend topical medications to stimulate artificial tears, preventing eye dryness. However, the doctor might still recommend oral medications to prevent eye dryness.

There are other methods the optometrist can consider to manage dry eyes, which includes:

• Clearing the blocked oil glands. At the clinic, your eye doctor might recommend a procedure to unblock oil glands in your eyes, such as Lipiflow thermal pulsation.
• Closing your tear ducts.If your condition is not treatable through medications, the eye doctor might plug your tear ducts. By plugging the tear ducts, tears will have nowhere to go, thus remaining in your eyes and keeping them moisturized.
• Your eye doctor might recommend contact lenses to prevent moisture from escaping from your eyes.

Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Dry Eyes

Some of the lifestyle changes that you can make to prevent dry eye syndrome include:

• Wear sunglasses with shields on the sides to prevent tears from evaporating
• Blinking regularly when looking at the same screen for long hours
• Use a cool-mist humidifier to provide moisture in the room
• Drink water regularly to stay hydrated
• Avoid smoking and limit your exposure to second-hand smoking

Conclusion

The treatment option you choose for a dry eye condition depends on your condition. Therefore, it is advisable to consult an eye doctor near you. If you are looking for dry eye treatment near you, you can visit Glendale Eye Medical Group.