Dry Eye

Dry eye can significantly affect your quality of life, causing symptoms like burning, blurry vision, eye fatigue, itching, and difficulty reading. Fortunately, there are many treatment options available, from simple self-care to advanced therapies, that can help improve comfort and vision.

Dry eye occurs when your eyes don't produce enough quality tears to properly lubricate and protect the surface of the eye. Tears are essential for keeping the eyes smooth, clear, and free from irritation and infection. This condition is common and often long-lasting, especially in older adults.

Preventive Self Care for Dry Eye

Simple habits can help manage mild dry eye symptoms. Try blinking regularly during screen use, using over-the-counter lubricating eye drops (artificial tears) as needed, keeping indoor air humid, and wearing sunglasses outdoors to protect your eyes from wind and sun.

Staying hydrated by drinking enough water each day and considering omega-3 or essential fatty acid supplements may also help. It's also important to check whether any medications you take could be contributing to dry eye and ask your doctor if alternative options are available.

Prescription Dry Eye Treatments

Depending on the cause and severity of your dry eye, your eye doctor may recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Prescription eye drops or medications to reduce inflammation or stimulate natural tear production.
• Specialty contact lenses, such as bandage or scleral lenses, to protect the eye's surface and help keep it moist.
• Antibiotics if eyelid inflammation or meibomian gland dysfunction is contributing to dry eye.
• Treatment for Demodex mites when Demodex blepharitis is causing irritation and dry eye symptoms.
• Manual eyelid cleansing and antiseptic eyelid sprays to improve eyelid hygiene and support healthy tear function.

Dry Eye Procedures

Depending on the cause and severity of your dry eye, your eye doctor may recommend one or more of the following in-office treatments:

• Punctal plugs – Tiny collagen plugs are placed in the tear ducts to reduce tear drainage, helping keep your eyes moist longer.
• Lid expression – A procedure that uses heat and gentle pressure on the eyelids to clear blocked meibomian glands and improve the flow of the natural oils that help prevent tears from evaporating too quickly.
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy is a FDA approved non-invasive treatment specifically designed to manage dry eye disease, improve meibomian gland function, reduce inflammation and enhance tear quality. The Optilight device uses light pulses to soften and clear blocked oils in the eyelid glands improving tear quality. Treatment requires 4 sessions or more for optimal results.