dry eyes

Understanding Dry Eye: Treatment Options

by

If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve experienced some dry eye symptoms. You’re in luck, despite misconceptions, dry eye is a curable condition. 

There are several effective treatment options available to alleviate its symptoms and improve overall eye health. If you’ve noticed changes in your eye lubrication or frequently experience dryness, itchiness, or a gritty sensation, it is crucial to seek an evaluation from your eye doctor.

Causes and Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye occurs when your eyes fail to produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly.

Several factors contribute to this condition, including:

  • Environmental conditions
  • Medical conditions
  • Certain medications

Environmental factors such as dry air, wind, or exposure to smoke can exacerbate dry eye symptoms. Medical conditions like autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and hormonal changes can also impact tear production. Furthermore, certain medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants, and antidepressants, can cause dryness in the eyes.

Symptoms

Dry eye presents with various symptoms, including:

  • Persistent dry sensation
  • Redness
  • Itching
  • Blurred vision
  • Light sensitivity
  • Discomfort when wearing contact lenses.

These symptoms can range from mild to severe and can significantly affect your quality of life if left untreated.

Diagnosing Dry Eye

If you suspect you have dry eyes, seeking professional evaluation is essential.

Your eye doctor will conduct a thorough examination to diagnose dry eye accurately and determine the underlying causes. During the evaluation, your eye doctor will review your medical history, assess your symptoms, and perform specific tests to measure tear production and evaluate the quality of your tears.

Treatment Options for Dry Eye

Whether your symptoms are mild or severe, understanding these treatment options can help you find relief and improve your overall eye health. From artificial tears and lubricating eye drops to lifestyle modifications and advanced procedures, each approach aims to address the underlying causes of dry eye and provide the necessary moisture and lubrication your eyes need

Artificial Tears and Lubricating Eye Drops

One of the most common treatment options for dry eye is the use of artificial tears or lubricating eye drops.

These products supplement the natural tear film and provide relief from dryness and discomfort. Your eye doctor may recommend different types of eye drops, including those that reduce inflammation or stimulate tear production, based on the severity of your dry eye.

Lifestyle Modifications

In addition to eye drops, certain lifestyle changes can help manage dry eye symptoms effectively.

Increasing humidity levels in your environment, avoiding excessive screen time, taking regular breaks to rest your eyes, and wearing protective eyewear outdoors can significantly alleviate dry eye symptoms and improve overall eye health.

Advanced Procedures

For severe cases of dry eye, advanced procedures may be recommended.

Punctal occlusion is one such option where tiny plugs are inserted into the tear ducts to slow down tear drainage and maintain better eye lubrication. Other advanced treatments may involve techniques like intense pulsed light therapy or prescription medications to address the underlying causes of dry eye and provide long-lasting relief.

Trust the Experts for Dry Eye Treatment at Performance Eyecare

By seeking timely treatment for dry eye, you can enjoy clear vision and comfortable eyes without any pain or discomfort. If you are experiencing dry eye symptoms, schedule an appointment with one of our experienced eye doctors at Performance Eyecare.

With ten convenient locations in Missouri and Illinois, we offer personalized care and tailor dry eye treatment options to your specific needs. Don’t let dry eye hold you back from living life to the fullest. Schedule your next eye exam today to take the first step towards relieving your dry eye symptoms. Our dedicated team is ready to assist you on your journey to optimal eye health.

Winter weather could irritate your eyes

by
Dry eye conditions in Winter at Performance Eyecare

The bright sun reflecting off the white snow isn’t the only eye hazard you should be worried about this winter. Other hazards that could irritate your eyes are the cold winds and dry air.

As noted by Osteopathic.org, harsh weather conditions can make eyes constantly dry and irritated, especially for those who wear contact lenses. Also, dry eyes can be troublesome when you’re indoors as well since the indoor heat eliminates moisture from the air.

Eye drops can be used a few times a day to help combat the dry-eye problem as well as installing humidifiers throughout your house to increase the indoor levels of humidity.

Staying hydrated and eating proper nutrition, in addition to eye drops and wearing sunglasses outside, can help keep your eyes moist. Studies have found that supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as cold-water fish (sardines, cod, herring, and salmon), and flaxseed oil can relieve dry eye.

Drinking more water can help as well. The Institute of Medicine states that each day women need 91 ounces of water and men need about 125 ounces to stay hydrated. Experts agree that about 20 percent of the water your body needs comes from the food you eat. The best choices for beverages are water, 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices and milk.

Dry Eye Syndrome

by

How Do I Know If I Have Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry Eye Syndrome is caused by chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of your eye. This is more common among women. Although there is no determining factor for this, we believe dry eyes could possibly be due to hormonal fluctuations.

Symptoms You May Have Dry Eye Syndrome

  1. Blurriness
  2. Sensitivity to light
  3. Irritation from windy conditions
  4. Fatigued eyes, especially at the end of the day
  5. Irritation, or problems wearing contact lenses
  6. Gritty or scratchy feelings
  7. Excessive tearing
  8. Red eyes

If you suffer from any of the above, get in touch with your local Performance Eyecare office to take a look and possibly diagnose for treatment.

Possible Causes

  1. Heavy reading, or excessive digital device use
  2. LASIK eye surgery
  3. Prolonged contacts lens wearing
  4. Living or working in dry environments
  5. Diets lacking in fatty acids
  6. Certain prescriptions such as allergy drugs, beta-blockers, etc
  7. Deficiency of tear-producing glands
  8. Certain health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, lupus & more

Dry Eyes and Allergen Problems? We Can Help!

by

There are many unpleasant feelings in this world – an itch you can’t reach to scratch, having a hangnail or two, and, of course, dry, itchy eyes that never seem to go away!

Allergen problems are oftentimes hereditary and happen due to processes that are associated with other types of allergic responses. When an allergic reaction takes place, your eyes may be overreacting to something that they perceive as harmful, even though it usually isn’t harmful. These usually harmless substances that bother your eyes so much are called allergens!

One very common allergen that most people experience problems with is dust. It is harmless to most people, but in allergic individuals, dust can cause an excessive production of mucus and tears in the eyes.

Did you know that about 30% to 50% of all residents in the United States have allergy symptoms and problems? About 75% of those symptoms also affect the eyes!

What Are The Symptoms?

How do you know you are experiencing trouble with allergens? Here are the typical symptoms one experiences when combating allergens:

  • Red, swollen, or itchy eyes
  • Runny nose
  • Sneezing and coughing
  • Itchy nose, mouth, or throat
  • Headache from sinus congestion
  • Fatigue and a lack of sleep

How To Deal With Dry Eyes

What can you do if you’re experiencing dry eyes and problems with allergies? We recommend the following tips to help you through allergen issues:

Avoid The Triggers – One of the most common pieces of advice given to those who suffer from allergens is to avoid whatever causes your eye allergy to flare up as much as you possibly can. If you have dry, itchy eyes, do your best to keep your home free of dust and pet dander, and remember to keep your pets off of the furniture. When the pollen count is high, stay indoors with the air conditioner on. During the cold months, use high quality furnace filters, which will trap common allergens. Be sure also to replace your furnace filters frequently.

Take Medicine – If you’re unsure what’s causing your eye allergies to flare up or you cannot avoid the allergens that affect you, your next best bet is to probably take some medicine to at least help alleviate the symptoms you might be experiencing. You can also take over-the-counter drops, but be sure to ask your doctor which kind of eye drop is right for you!

Use Eye Drops – Nothing feels as refreshing and alleviating as eye drops to dry, itchy eyes. Eye drops may have one or more active ingredients to help with symptoms such as antihistamines, decongestants, or mast cell stabilizers that inhibit inflammation. Be sure to talk to your doctor or to me about using eye drops for your dry eyes!

Talk to Me If You Wear Contact Lenses – You may generally wear contact lenses pretty successfully, but allergies can make your contacts uncomfortable or even unbearable. Airborne allergens can get on your lenses and can also stimulate the excessive production of natural substances in your tears. These can bind to your contacts and cause blurry vision and even more discomfort to occur. Ask us about eye drops that can help relieve your symptoms and also help keep your contact lenses clean.

Try Daily Disposable Contact Lenses – If you wear contact lenses and experience allergy problems, you may want to consider acquiring daily disposable contact lenses, which you discard at the end of the day. Because you replace these types of contacts much more frequently than usual, you are unlikely to develop irritating deposits that can build up over time and cause or increase any allergy-related discomfort you may feel.

If you’re experiencing dry eyes and allergy problems and would like to make an appointment, give your local Performance Eyecare office a call or schedule your appointment online. You don’t have to suffer from dry, itchy eyes – just come see us, and we can make your eyes feel so much better!

Fulfill your New Year’s Resolutions at Performance Eyecare

by
Performance Eyecare in St. Louis and Swansea, IL is the place to go for better eye health and to see more clearly.

Another year has come and pass which means it’s another year of making New Year’s resolutions, some new and some old, some reasonable and some way out of reach.

So what will your New Year’s resolution be for the new year? Here’s an easy one to choose: take better care of your eyes.

All it takes to start is one phone call and appointment. Here’s how to get started:

Get an eye exam

A regular eye exam is a good idea even if you think they are healthy. Many eye diseases don’t have symptoms so it’s imperative you have a yearly exam. Also, January is the perfect month for an eye exam because it’s easy to remember – a new year, new eye exam.

Get screened for glaucoma

You need to get regular glaucoma screenings if you are 40 or older. This terrible disease is known as the “silent thief of sight” because it can cause vision loss before you know you have it.

Update your prescription

Your eyeglass or contact lens prescription might be outdated or wrong for your activities. You should get your prescription checked out yearly, especially if you begin to get headaches or dry eyes after working at a computer.

Performance Eyecare is the perfect place for you to put your vision first in the new year. We offer quality services including high-tech eye exams to detect diseases and Lasik eye surgery as well as designer eyeglass and sunglass frames.

We can begin treating your dry eyes, red eyes, pink eye, eye infections and more starting with one visit. Seeing correctly is important during your daily activities, so isn’t it time you scheduled an appointment to see us soon?

Allergy Season & Contact Lenses

by

Allergy season is extra harsh for those who wear contacts! It’s bad enough to have allergies, but to have allergies AND wear contacts can add extra discomfort to your life during the pollen season.

According to the American Optometric Association, more than 75 percent of contact-wearers suffer from eye discomfort caused by allergens. Soft lenses are likely the main culprit of the irritation as they function as sponges which keeps the allergens in the eye.

Tips for Allergy Season

So what can contact-wearers do to combat the allergy season? Here are a few ideas!

  • Switch to eyeglasses. It’s easier said than done for those who normally wear contacts from morning to night, but it might be the simplest thing to do. Allergens, such as pollen and dust, tend to stick to plastic surfaces of contacts, so wearing glasses should decrease your chances of an attack.
  • Contact-wearers should also wash the allergens out of the eye and moisten irritated eyes with artificial tears. It’s recommended that you don’t buy over-the-counter redness relievers to treat your allergic symptoms because most of those products are considered cosmetic-only.
  • How often do you clean your contacts? It’s recommended you clean your contacts more often and using a preservative-free solution to avoid allergic reactions. Those who wear disposable lenses should consider replacing them more frequently.
  • This might be the hardest tip: try not to rub your eyes. Rubbing will only cause it to get worse. Instead, place a cool, damp cloth over your eyes to reduce any swelling or itching. It might look weird doing this, but it won’t look as bad as having excessively red and puffy eyes.
  • The most important tip is to see your eye doctor. Allergy sufferers can choose from medical products specifically designed to protect their eyes. The doctor can also check to see if the symptoms are caused by a different medical problem.