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Dry Eyes

Bloomberg Eyecare

Optometrists located in Warren, OH, Austintown, OH, & Boardman, OH

Chronically dry and irritated eyes are more than an inconvenience. The experienced optometrists at Bloomberg Eyecare in Austintown, Boardman, and Warren, Ohio, understand the frustrations of dry eyes. They offer diagnostic testing to uncover the root cause of your dry eyes and treatment plans to soothe your eyes. If your eyes are always itchy and irritated, schedule a dry eye evaluation by calling the Bloomberg Eyecare office nearest you or by requesting an appointment online today.

Dry Eyes Q&A

What causes dry eyes?

In a healthy eye, tears help to clear away irritants and debris to provide you with clear vision. Your tears also lubricate and nourish your eyes to protect overall eye health.

Dry eyes or dry eye syndrome can result for many reasons:

Inadequate tear production

When you have dry eyes, the glands that produce tears may not be functioning correctly. This can result in less tear production or a lower quality of tears that can’t effectively protect and nourish your eyes.

Poor tear quality

Your tears contain layers of water, oil, and mucus. If your tears are lacking any of these essential substances, they may not be spreading completely over your eye or may be evaporating too quickly.

Environmental factors

The weather and the climate you live in can have an impact on your tear quality. Frequent exposure to windy, dry conditions can make your tears evaporate too quickly and lead to chronic eye irritation.

Other possible causes of dry eyes include:

  • Hormone fluctuations
  • Age-related eye changes
  • Use of certain medications 
  • Previous LASIK or other eye surgery

If you spend a lot of time in front of an electronic device, you may not blink as often as you should, which can lead to dry eyes.

Without proper lubrication, you may be at increased risk for scratches and other eye injuries. This is especially true if chronic dry eye causes you to frequently rub your eyes or if you’re not able to naturally clear away irritants and debris due to a lack of tears.

What are the symptoms of dry eyes?

A hallmark symptom of dry eye syndrome is persistent eye irritation. You may frequently feel like there’s an eyelash or dust in your eye. 

Other common symptoms of dry eyes include:

  • Itchiness
  • Redness
  • Stinging 
  • Burning

You may also notice that you’re more sensitive to light than usual.

How are dry eyes diagnosed?

Bloomberg Eyecare offers comprehensive eye exams to identify the underlying cause of dry eye syndrome. During the exam, your optometrist looks for abnormalities that may contribute to poor tear production.

To test the effectiveness of your tears, they use a special dye to evaluate how well your tears lubricate your eye. Additional tests are available to measure the quality of your tears.

Once your Bloomberg Eyecare optometrist confirms your chronic eye irritation relates to dry eye syndrome, they customize a treatment plan to restore moisture and protect the long-term health of your eyes.

How are dry eyes treated?

Because dry eyes can become a chronic condition, it’s important that you follow all recommendations of your Bloomberg Eyecare optometrist for treatment, which may include:

Over-the-counter drops

Over-the-counter artificial tear solutions help clear away irritants and keep your eyes moisturized.  

Prescription medication

Prescription eye drops can increase your natural tear production to lubricate and protect your eyes. Antibiotics can reduce inflammation in your eyelids, which contributes to dry eye discomfort.

Drainage plugs

In some cases, where drops aren’t enough to treat dry eyes, you may need a procedure to block your tear drainage system. You receive small, removable plugs that allow your tears to remain in your eyes longer before draining away.

In severe cases, you may need surgery that permanently closes your tear ducts.

If computer use contributes to dry eyes and eye strain, blue light blocking glasses may help.

Your Bloomberg Eyecare optometrist works with you on a follow-up schedule to ensure your treatment for dry eyes is working.

To find help for dry eyes, call the Bloomberg Eyecare office nearest you or request a consultation online today.

All Bloomberg Eyecare eye doctors offer telemedicine eye consultations utilizing cellular phones, Facetime, or other connectivity technologies.