Jenks Eye Doctor | Dry eyes goals and treatments
Do your eyes ever itch, water, or burn? You may be suffering from dry eye syndrome (DES), also called ocular surface disease (OSD). Your Jenks eye doctor can evaluate your symptoms and help you live more comfortably. Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a common condition where the eyes do not produce enough tears. Sometimes it can feel as if there is something in the eye. Most of the time, however, there are no other symptoms. Your Jenks eye doctor can help diagnose and treat your specific needs.
Dry eye syndrome (DES) tends to be more common in those who wear contacts, people that have undergone LASIK, people with multiple glaucoma medications, those with thyroid issues, women experiencing menopause and those who experience extended computer use at work. Your Jenks eye doctor will look at the surface layers of your eyes to determine if your lifestyle may be causing you to suffer from ocular surface disease (OSD).
There are a variety of dry eye treatments that your Jenks eye doctor may prescribe to improve your life. Your Jenks eye doctor will work with you to create a customized plan to meet your needs and treat your dry eye syndrome (DES). If your dry eye is caused by your environment or behavior your Jenks eye doctor may suggest making a few changes to your everyday life, such as: reducing the speed of your ceiling fans at home, remember to blink more often when you are using the computer, increasing your water intake, or eating food high omega 3 fatty acids or vitamin A. Your Jenks eye doctor will help choose the best treatment for your symptoms.
Contacts have many advantages for people with active lifestyles, however sometimes they can pose a risk for people who over wear them. People who already have dry eyes and decide to wear contacts might not notice their eyes are dry and irritated until they remove their contacts. Monthly contact lenses need to be taken out and cleaned with saline each night and need to be replaced and thrown away after 30 days of use. While daily contact lenses need to be thrown out each night, or after each use. Using saline to clean the contacts is important to make sure protein deposits and bacteria do not build up and cause infection, or worsen symptoms of dry eyes. Your Jenks eye doctor will talk to you about the importance of taking out your contact lenses each day and how this can affect your dry eye syndrome (DES) or ocular surface disease (OSD).
Sometimes your dry eye syndrome (DES) can be caused by lack of tear production. Artificial tears, such as Restasis and Xiidra can be prescribed by your Jenks eye doctor to help increase tear production. Other treatments like punctal plugs can help reduce how much moisture/ tears will be drained by your tear drainage ducts. Less invasive methods such as over the counter artificial tears can also be used to treat your dry eye symptoms. Ask your Jenks eye doctor today which method of treatment might suit your lifestyle.
People at risk of developing dry eye syndrome (DES), or ocular surface disease (OSD), are usually those over the age of 40. Women near menopause are also at a high risk of developing dry eyes. People with inflammatory diseases, people with Sjogren’s, and those who have rosacea are also at risk. Those who are on medications for depression, high blood pressure, allergies, hormone replacement therapy, and diuretics can also experience symptoms of ocular surface disease (OSD). If any of these pertain to you, ask your Jenks eye doctor to check your eyes for dry eye syndrome (DES).
When you visit your Jenks eye doctor you may undergo a few tests to see if you have dry eye syndrome (DES). These tests can include: Schirmer, phenol red thread, tear osmolarity, tear breakup time, or corneal staining. The Schirmer test takes a thin strip of filter paper and places it on the lower lid at the edge of the eye, after a few minutes the paper absorbs tears from the eye and the amount of wetting is measured in millimeters. The phenol red thread test takes a small cotton thread that is soaked in phenol red dye which changed colors when wetted by tears. The thread is placed in the lower eyelid for 15 seconds and is wetted by the patient’s tears, it is then measured in millimeters. The tear breakup time tests takes a small amount of fluorescein dye applied to the eye that mixes with the tear film. The patient will then take a blink and then hold their eye open for the doctor to see, after each blink the tear film will thin and evaporate and form dry spots to insufficient wetting of areas on the eyes surface. With corneal staining a few different dyes can be applied to the eyes to determine the extent of damage done to the eyes by dry eye syndrome (DES), such as: Rose Bengal, Lissamine Green, and Fluorescein. When applied to the eyes these dyes adhere to damage on the conjunctiva and your cornea. Your Jenks eye doctor will explain all of these tests to you before testing you for dry eye syndrome (DES) or ocular surface disease (OSD).
Some reasons and goals for treating your dry eye syndrome (DES) or ocular surface disease (OSD) are: Rebuilding tear film, restoring balance, and for the comfort of your eyes. Your Jenks eye doctor will go over the options for treatment mentioned above during your appointment and find the right solution for your symptoms and particular lifestyle.
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