Most people will experience dry eye symptoms some time or other. Regular eye drops you can find over-the-counter at pharmacies is usually enough to solve the problem. This is if dryness of the eyes is due to harsh weather conditions involving wind, dust particles and smoke. If, however, there are more complicated or serious reasons for your dry eyes then medical attention might be necessary. Here’s what to expect for your dry eye treatment.
Testing Eyes for Dryness
There are a few tests that our ophthalmologists can use to decide if the level of dryness in our clients’ eyes are problematic. When our patients complain of having dry eyes that last and don’t seem to respond well to over-the-counter remedies, the first thing we do is review their overall health history. We want to be sure that there is no current or former health problem that might produce symptoms of dry eye. Part of this process is a general examination of the eyes.
We can check the moisture levels in our patients’ eyes with a few tests. The TearLab Osmolarity test looks at the salt concentration of your tears. This can tell Dr. Patel the severity of your dry eye and serve as a means to monitor your treatment. The LipiView® system takes several pictures as you blink. It then analyzes each frame to determine the cause of your dry eye.
Treating Dry Eyes
If there is abnormal dryness, we can then take measures to repair the problem. Sometimes our patients might be taking a medication that might be causing dryness of the eyes as a side effect. If we find that to be the case, we might recommend that they switch to a different but similar medication that does not cause that side effect.
Dryness of the eyes can also be caused by inflammation of the eyelids. This can happen because of allergic reactions or sensitivity to pollen, dust and particles in the wind. We will usually offer an antibiotic that can be taken as a pill or they may be in the forms of eye salves or eye drops.
Another dry eye treatment is LipiFlow®, a breakthrough in dry eye technology that works to help treat the cause of your dry eyes. This treatment loosens and releases the thickened oils in your glands, allowing them to produce the natural oils found in your tears,
No matter what the reason is for your dry eyes, a consultation with Dr. Reena Patel should be your first step in solving this problem. Call us and schedule an appointment for your dry eye treatment today.