Dry eye is a common condition that can affect your quality of life. If you have dry eyes, they can interfere with daily activities.

These include watching TV, driving, reading, and using a computer. Keep reading to learn if you can treat dry eyes!

Symptoms of Dry Eyes

You may experience discomfort, blurry vision, and sensitivity to light if your eyes are dry. Symptoms include:

  • Pain or soreness
  • Experiencing a sandy or gritty feeling
  • Feeling a burning sensation
  • Eye fatigue
  • Itchiness

People with dry eyes also complain of red eyes, mucous discharge, and finding it harder to wear contact lenses.

Dry Eye Treatment

An eye doctor can diagnose and determine the best treatment for your dry eye. Through various tests, your ophthalmologist will find out the quantity and quality of your tear production.

Your eye doctor can also check for chronic conditions like autoimmune disorders that cause dry eyes. If your dry eyes are a result of using a medication, your ophthalmologist may recommend a different one.

For severe cases, surgery may be necessary. This changes how your eyes keep moisture.

What treatment your eye doctor recommends for your dry eyes will depend on what’s causing them.

The symptoms of dry eye can significantly improve with the help of these treatments:

Anti-Inflammatories

Based on a comprehensive analysis of your dry eye, there are different anti-inflammatory eye drops. Your eye doctor can prescribe these to increase the production of your natural tears.

Your ophthalmologist will discuss the options with you. From there, they can decide if these are right for you.

Temporary Punctal Occlusion

This procedure entails closing the ducts that drain tears from your eyes. Punctal occlusion is painless. It involves inserting a plug in the lower eyelid drain.

This temporary procedure is performed to check whether permanent plugs can help reduce the symptoms of your dry eye.

Permanent Punctal Occlusion

If temporary punctal occlusion works well, permanent silicone plugs may be used to hold tears around your eyes. Many patients experience improved comfort after the procedure.

Surgery

Sometimes, it might be necessary to completely block the ducts that drain tears into your nose. This allows more tears to stay in your eyes.

PROKERA

For PROKERA, you’ll need an amniotic membrane that’s rich in fetal cells. This is usually donated by mothers.

The membrane is then placed on the eyes to heal the damage. This stimulates the production of tears and reduces inflammation.

LipiFlow

This is a treatment that unblocks the meibomian glands. These are glands located in the rims of your eyelid.

Your eye doctor will place the LipiFlow device on your eyes. After placing the device, they will apply gentle pressure and heat to your eyes.

Using LipiFlow will remove any blockages.

Autologous Serum Drop

For severe dry eyes, artificial tears can be prepared from your own serum. This serum can be administered 6-8 times daily in both eyes.

Although this treatment has high success rates, it’s quite expensive. Because of this, insurance won’t cover the treatment.

Top-Rated Dry Eye Specialists

The doctors at Joshi Eye Institute take dry eye quite seriously. Dry eye is a progressive and chronic condition in most cases.

It can co-exist with different conditions like inflammation, meibomian gland disease, and aqueous deficiency. Advancements in technology can make a huge difference when treating it.

After a thorough diagnosis of your condition, our doctors will come up with the most effective treatment plan.

Tired of living with dry eyes? Schedule your consultation at Joshi Eye Institute in Boynton Beach, FL, today!