Dry Eye Treatment Offered by Your Optometrist in Mesa and Scottsdale

Dry eye is a fairly common eye condition, particularly among seniors. It occurs when your eyes stop producing the tears they need to keep them lubricated and moist. Lack of tears can leave your eyes dry and irritated and your vision blurry and obscured. At Riviera Opticare, we can diagnose if you have dry eye and recommend dry eye treatment to manage your symptoms. For your convenience, we serve residents in Mesa, Scottsdale, and the surrounding communities. Here’s what you should know about dry eye syndrome.

Symptoms

If you have dry eye, you may experience some or all of the following symptoms:

• Burning, stinging eyes
• Eye redness
• Dry, itchy eyes
• Mucus discharge from your eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Watery eyes due to overproduction of low quality tears
• Blurred vision
• Eye fatigue

You may find it difficult to wear contacts or drive safely at night due to the glare of headlights. You may have mild symptoms or prolonged, severe symptoms that restrict your activities or lower your quality of life.

Causes

Tears are essential to eye health and vision. Quality tears – a blend of water, fatty oils, and mucus - keep your eyes smooth and moist and wash away irritants that can cause infections. Dry eye occurs when your eyes stop producing quality tears, making them more susceptible to dryness, irritations, and infections.

Various factors can affect tear production and cause dry eye. These factors include aging, certain medical conditions and medications, tear gland infections, environmental elements, computer overuse, and as a side effect of laser eye surgery. Hormonal changes due to pregnancy can reduce tear production in women. Lack of Vitamin A in your diet can also affect tear production, causing dry eye.

Left untreated, dry eye symptoms can lead to complications with your eye health and vision. Lack of tears increases your risk of eye infections, inflammation, and corneal abrasions. Severe dry eye can impair your vision, making it hard to keep up with work obligations or daily tasks.

Dry Eye Treatment

The good news is that dry eye can be treated to minimize your symptoms. Although there’s no cure for dry eye syndrome, your Mesa/Scottsdale optometry specialist can recommend medications or procedures that correspond with the severity of your condition.

For mild dry eye, over the counter eye drops will usually moisturize your eyes and alleviate symptoms. For more severe cases of dry eye, you may need prescription eye drops or ointments to find relief. Through routine optometry care, your eye doctor can monitor your eye health to help you manage your condition.

See Our Mesa/Scottsdale Optometrist for Dry Eye Treatment

To schedule a consultation for dry eye diagnosis and treatment, contact Riviera Opticare in Mesa at 480-827-9184 or Scottsdale at 480-991-6432 today.