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Dry Eye Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

The name "dry eye" can be a little confusing since one of the most common symptoms is excessive watering! It makes more sense, though, when you learn that the eye makes two different types of tears.

The first type, called lubricating tears, is produced slowly and steadily throughout the day. Lubricating tears contain a precise balance of mucous, water, oil, nutrient proteins, and antibodies that nourish and protect the front surface of the eye.

The second type of tear, called a reflex tear, does not have much lubricating value. Reflex tears serve as a kind of emergency response to flood the eye when it is suddenly irritated or injured. Reflex tears might occur when you get something in your eye, when you're cutting onions, when you're around smoke, or when you accidentally scratch your eye. The reflex tears gush out in such large quantities that the tear drainage system can't handle them all and they spill out onto your cheek. Still another cause of reflex tearing is irritation of the eye from lack of lubricating tears. If your eye is not producing enough lubricating tears, you have dry eye.

Symptoms of Dry Eyes:

• Watery eyes
• The feeling that there's sand in your eyes
• Eyes that itch and burn
• Vision that becomes blurred after periods of reading, watching TV, or using a computer
• Red, irritated eyes that produce a mucus discharge

Causes of Dry Eye:

• Age: As we get older, glands in the eyelid produce less oil. Oil keeps tears from evaporating off the eye. Decreased oil production allows tears to evaporate too quickly, leaving the eye too dry.
  
  
• Diseases including diabetes, Sjogren's and Parkinson's
  
  
• Hormonal changes, especially after menopause
  
  
• Prescription medications: These include some high blood pressure medications, antihistamines, diuretics, antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, sleeping pills and pain medications. Over-the-counter medications including some cold and allergy products, motion sickness remedies, and sleep aids can also cause dry eye.
  
  
• Hot dry or windy conditions: High altitude, air-conditioning and smoke can also cause dry eye.
  
  
• Reading, using a computer or watching TV
  
  
• Contact lenses
  
  
• Eye surgery: Some types of eye surgery, including LASIK can aggravate dry eye.
  
• Inflammation: Recent research suggests that dry eye may be caused by inflammation due to an imbalance of "good" fats and "bad" fats.

Diagnosing Dry Eye:

Your eye doctor can check for dry eye by examining your eyes with magnifying instruments, measuring your rate of tear production and checking the amount of time it takes for tears to evaporate between blinks. The doctor can also check for pinpoint scratches on the front surface of the eye caused by dryness using special, colored eyedrops call fluorescein or Rose Bengal.

Treatments for Dry Eye:

One way to alleviate dry eye in Fredericksburg, is to help the eyes to make better and longer use of the small amount of lubricating tears they do produce. This is accomplished by closing off the small funnel-like drain hole found in the inner corner of the upper and lower eyelids.

These drain holes, called punctums can be closed with tiny plugs called punctal plugs. The plugs can be placed in the two tear ducts, top and bottom, in both eyes or in only the lower ducts. The punctum can also be permanently closed with a heat or laser procedure.

Punctal plugs can be temporary or permanent. Temporary plugs dissolve a few days after insertion. If your dry eye symptoms disappear when the temporary plugs are inserted, our doctors may consider permanent punctal occlusion.

Punctal Occlusion is for Those:

• who have been diagnosed with dry eye
• whose doctor has determined that punctal occlusion is the appropriate treatment for their condition

What to Expect on Surgery Day:

Your treatment will be performed in an examination room at Southern Eye Center. It does not require a surgery center. Once you have been checked in and settled comfortably, drops will be used to numb your eye; no injections or needles are used.

Our surgeons will pull your eyelid up and ask you to look toward the outside of your head, away from your nose. Using a forceps-like applicator, the plug will be placed into the corner of your eye, then released. An applicator or another tool will then be used to gently push the plug into your natural punctal opening and you'll be asked to blink. Once the plugs get wet, they will expand to completely fill the opening. The entire procedure takes only a few minutes. Many patients report immediate relief from dry eye symptoms and resume normal activities immediately.

Realistic Expectations:

Serious complications with punctal occlusion are extremely rare, but like any medical procedure, it does have some risks. If you experience side effects, your doctor can remove the plugs. Going to a specialist experienced in punctal occlusion can significantly minimize risks.

To Learn More About Our Dry Eye Specialist:
Cameron S. Griffith, M.D.

If your are at risk for Dry Eye, please call 601-264-EYES or email us today to schedule a consultation

(601)264-3937

1420 S. 28th Ave

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