Treating Dry Eyes

Having dry eyes can be a painful, annoying condition. Dry eye is a chronic condition and it often progresses. It might not be completely curable depending on what caused it. The good news is that you can successfully manage it. This can result in better eye comfort, sharper vision, and fewer symptoms of dry eyes. There are several different causes of dry eyes, and your eye doctor may recommend a combination of different treatment options for you.

 

Getting Treatment

Before you receive the best treatment option for dry eyes, your optometrist may have you fill out a questionnaire about the symptoms you have. Your eye doctor can use your answers from this questionnaire to base your treatment on. You might fill out the questionnaire after you have had several weeks of treatment. That can help the eye doctor determine how effective the treatment has been.
 

Treating dry eyes successfully means that you must follow the recommendations of your eye doctor. You will need to use any products that the eye doctor recommends consistently. If that means using special eye drops several times a day, it is important to do so, even if it means an inconvenience for you.

 

Artificial Tears

A good starting point for your dry eye treatment may be artificial tears. This is a good option for mild cases. One of the problems with using artificial tears, however, is the vast number of choices out there. Your eye doctor will help you choose the right type.
 

Depending on your condition, the eye doctor may recommend eye drops in different viscosities or thicknesses. A lower viscosity means that the eye drops are thin and waterier. The effects do not last as long, and you may need to use them more often.
 

Eye drops with higher viscosity are more like a gel. They offer longer relief. However, they can cause your vision to blur after you put them in. Your eye doctor may not recommend them for use during the workday.

 

Restasis

This is a type of prescription eye drop that is known as Restasis. It lubricates your eye, but it also has an ingredient that can reduce the inflammation that you may have with your dry eyes. It can also help your body to create natural tears that will prevent your eyes from drying out. The downside is that you must use Restasis every day for at least 90 days to see the benefits.

 

Steroid Eye Drops

Research has found that inflammation can cause dry eyes. This causes both redness and burning with dry eyes. Artificial tears cannot reduce the inflammation, so your eye doctor might recommend using steroid eye drops. This can help you manage the inflammation with dry eyes. You will usually take steroid eye drops for the short term to manage your symptoms quickly.

 

Overview

If you have dry eyes, then we might be able to help. Contact Trinity Eye Care in Plano, TX, to make an appointment to get treatment for dry eyes.