Posted by: Dr. Ramsarat in Dry Eye
Dry eye is a chronic issue that affects millions of Americans each year. The condition results from inadequate tears to lubricate and nourish the eyes. Tears are necessary because they help maintain your eye health and provide clear vision. There are different ways you can restore tears and check your eye health. An optometrist can help you with some of these ways.
Who Is An Optometrist?
An optometrist is a professional eye service care provider. They give primary vision care, eye exams, diagnosis, prescriptions for lenses, and treat certain conditions. One of these conditions is dry eye, for which they can propose various treatments, depending on the severity of your condition. However, optometrists do not perform surgery—they will refer these cases to an ophthalmologist.
Treatment
Treatment minimizes dryness, discomfort, and pain from dry eyes. It also maintains and restores the usual quantity of tears. Optometrists will prescribe solutions that will keep your eyes comfortable and healthy. They allow you to get back to your daily activities with minimal disruption. Their primary approaches for treating dry eyes include:
BlephEx® And Lipiflow®
Dry eyes can cause inflammation of your eye surface due to irritation. The inflammation can cause redness and pain. The condition can also cause eyelid inflammation and block the meibomian glands. These glands are vital to producing oil in tears. The oil prevents the fast evaporation of tears, maintaining the quantity and hydrating your eyes.
The optometrist may recommend BlephEx® or Lipiflow® to deal with this. BlephEx treats blepharitis, which is an inflammation of the eyelids. It is a medical massage device that eliminates excess debris and bacteria that cause inflammation. Lipiflow also employs massage therapy. It is an in-office procedure on the inner and outer eyelids to unblock the meibomian glands.
Adding Tears
Mild cases need solutions that supplement natural tear production. To accomplish this, optometrists may recommend artificial tears. You can get these over-the-counter. However, make sure that they do not have preservatives. These additives may further irritate your eye and cause worse symptoms. If your dry eyes do not respond to the artificial tears, your condition may need additional steps.
Punctal Plugs To Conserve Tears
Conservation of tears involves treatments that keep your natural tears in your eyes longer. They ensure the eyes constantly have moisture and are healthy. One of these methods uses punctal plugs to block your tear ducts.
When you have excess tears in your eyes, they drain into the back of your nose through small drainage ducts. Sometimes, the drainage may not balance the tear production. Hence, there is a need to block these ducts. The small collagen plugs do this work, helping moisturize your eyes.
Change Of Lifestyle And Use Of Omega-3 Supplements
Your optometrist may also recommend several lifestyle changes. They include increasing the humidity in your home, wearing sunglasses, drinking enough water, and changing your diet. You may also have to stop smoking, get enough sleep, limit your screen time, and take supplements.
Supplements like omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the risk of high eye pressure that leads to glaucoma. It also relieves the symptoms of dry eye by controlling inflammation. The fatty acids are present in fish and flaxseed. Adding them to your diet will help deal with your symptoms.
For more information on dry eye, visit Dr. Veronica Ramsarat OD at our New York, New York office. Call (212) 808-4888 to schedule an appointment today.
