If you find yourself facing each new day with red, gummy, itchy eyes, you're hardly alone. These and other symptoms are telltale signs of dry eye, a condition that plagues millions of Americans, including nearly 5 million individuals aged 50 and older. But why would you develop dry eye, what does the condition actually involve, what can happen if it let it go untreated -- and perhaps most urgently if you're in serious discomfort, how do you overcome it? Let us examine the phenomenon of dry eye, and how our Mt.Pleasant optometry center can help.
When dry eye occurs as a recurring or chronic condition, it's usually related to some inadequacy in your tear film. The tear film isn't just water; it's actually a complex substance consisting of three different layers. The water layer keeps the eyes moist, while a mucous layer helps the water adhere to the eye and offers additional protection. the top layer is a layer of oil produced by the meibomian glands of the eyelid. This layer locks in the moisture so the water won't simply evaporate as quickly as it's produced. For your tear film to do its job, your tears must produce enough total fluid, but that fluid must also have the right balance of these ingredients. When either of those things goes wrong, you end up with dry eye. Common causes include:
Whatever the cause of your dry eye, you don't want to ignore it. In addition to chronic eye redness, itching, irritation and blurred vision, your eyes may suffer frequent infections, damage from foreign bodies, and possible corneal damage that affects your long-term eyesight.
H. Arnold Papernick OD has the answers to your dry eye dilemma. Our optometrist will discuss your symptoms with you, along with any lifestyle factors or known medical issues that might be factors. An analysis of your tear production and composition can reveal whether you're simply not producing enough tears or your tears lack the right mix of ingredients. We can then prescribe the right treatment strategies to get your dry eye under control, including:
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8:30 am - 5:00 pm
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
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