What to Know About Dry Eye

At Riviera Opticare, serving Scottsdale, Mesa, and the nearby communities, we understand that dry eye can be an unpleasant problem. It can hinder your ability to wear contacts, and if those are your chosen vision correction method, that can be more than a nuisance. So let's discuss what we can do about it and why you even have it. 

General Information

Dry eye describes when your eyes are dry, which we're sure you could already guess. Though it doesn't sound like a serious issue, it can cause your eyes to hurt. If you work on a computer all day, the discomfort you may feel can hinder your ability to work comfortably. Plus, it can interfere with your ability to wear contacts and may even affect your ability to drive at night. Despite being dry, your eyes may actually produce an increase of fluid to compensate, causing them to water up frequently.

Some of the symptoms of dry eye include:

• Stringy mucus in affected eye or eyes
• Stinging, burning, or irritation
• Eye fatigue
• Scratchy sensation like something is in your eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurry vision

Causes

Age is one of the leading causes of dry eye. As you age, your tear ducts may not produce and emit the same amount of fluid as they used to. It doesn't help that your hormone levels change, for both men and women, which can lead to dry eye. Dry eye can also become a problem after you have LASIK eye surgery. For some, the discomfort is only mild, but there are cases when it's more serious.

Certain medical conditions and medications can lead to dry eye, such as lupus or an antihistamine. Your eyes may not produce enough tears, and in some cases, the problem may be due to poor-quality tears which will be unable to hydrate your eyes adequately. Sometimes, your tears may evaporate too quickly, and the eyes won't have enough time to absorb that fluid.

Treating Dry Eye

You will need an exam with our doctor to perform a dry eye assessment of quality and quantity of tears and the health of the cornea conjunctiva and tear glands. We'll carefully evaluate your medical history and ask you questions about your lifestyle and dry eye symptoms. Based on these results, we can determine if you have dry eye and plan a course of action. Based on the cause of your dry eye, we may recommend hydrating eye drops, hydrating contacts, eyeglasses instead of contacts, or medication to stimulate tears, among other options.

Contact Riviera Opticare in Scottsdale and Mesa, AZ

Riviera Opticare in Scottsdale and Mesa offers dry eye treatment to help your eyes remain comfortable and vision clear. Sometimes, we recommend switching to eyeglasses or that you wear specialized contacts. No matter the case, the treatment is customized to you.

Book an appointment at:

• Scottsdale - 480-991-6432
• Mesa - 480-827-9184