Dry
eye syndrome is a condition in which your eyes do not
produce enough tears or the tears do not have the normal chemical
makeup and they not stay too long on the eye surface. Another name for
dry eye syndrome is Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca.
Normally, your body produces two types of tears:
Lubricating tears are produced while you are awake. They help keep your
eyes moist and clean and help fight infection. The tear film that forms
contains layers of water, mucus, and oil. Dry eye can occur when any
one of these layers is not normal. Most often, the watery layer is too
thin.
Reflex tears are produced in response to injury, irritation (such as
smoke or toxic chemicals), or emotion. They may even be produced in
response to dry eye, when your eyes lack lubricating tears, so your
eyes may be more watery than normal.
Dry eye may be caused by: aging, the environment, some medications,
lack of vitamin A, chronic inflammatory diseases, lid problems,
chemical or thermal (heat) burns.
Symptoms may include, but are not limited too: a scratchy, gritty,
burning feeling in the eyes, excessive watering, stringy mucus in your
eyes.
There is no cure for dry eye. However, several treatment options are
available that can reduce your discomfort and protect the eyes:
artificial tears, temporary or permanent plugs that block the punctum,
cyclosporine eye drops.
Call today our
office and schedule an appointment for a comprehensive vision and
ocular health
assessment.
|
