Dry Eye Evaluation

Common Dry Eye Symptoms

• Burning, foreign body sensation
• Watery eye due to reflex tearing that occur due to corneal irritation.
• Fluctuating vision or blurry vision

Common Causes

• Certain medications may cause dry eye such as antihistamines or antidepressant.
• Eyelid diseases such as blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids), ectropion (eyelids turning outwards), or lagophthalmos (partial closing of eyelids while sleeping at night) may affect the tear film and caused dry eyes.
• Systemic disorder such as collagen vascular disease or Sjogren’s syndrome.
• In the women’s population, dry eyes may occur due to hormonal changes.
• Some cases can be due to Vitamin A deficiency
• Environmental desiccation because of dry cold air or staring at the computer for too long at a time.

Treatment

• Treatment is based on the severity of the disorder.
• In mild cases, you can find relief with artificial tear alone.
• In moderate cases, you may need prescription medication such as Restasis to revive your tear producing mechanism.
• In severe case we may need to perform a simple procedure call punctal occlusion to preserve the tear in your eyes in order to provide you satisfactory comfort.
• Punctal Occlusion is a painless procedure, during the procedure Dr. Pang insert a pair of tiny plugs at the tear draining opening at the lower eye lid. It is commonly done to treat dry eye syndrome.