Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly. Tears are essential for keeping your eyes moist and comfortable, so when this process is disrupted, it leads to symptoms like:
• Burning or scratchy sensations
• Redness and irritation
• A gritty feeling in the eyes
• Blurred vision
• Light sensitivity
While over-the-counter eye drops may offer temporary relief, they often don’t address the root cause. This is where visiting an optometrist comes in—they can help diagnose the underlying problem and provide tailored treatment plans that get to the heart of your dry eye problem.
Why Visit an Optometrist?
If your dry eye symptoms persist despite using over-the-counter treatments, it’s time to consult an optometrist. They can help identify the underlying cause of your dry eyes and recommend effective treatment options accordingly.
What are the root causes of dry eye?
Dry eye syndrome can be broadly categorized into two main types: evaporative dry eye and aqueous deficient dry eye.
- Evaporative Dry Eye: This occurs when your tears evaporate too quickly, despite sufficient production. It is caused by clogged oil (meibomian) glands that fail to produce the oily layer needed to prevent evaporation. Your optometrist will assess your oil quality to evaluate your oil gland function.
- Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye: This type occurs when your eyes do not produce enough aqueous fluid, resulting in inadequate tear volume to protect the eye’s surface. An optometrist can diagnose this through a tear volume test.
- Dry eyes can also be a result of incomplete lid closure while sleeping, especially if your symptoms are worse first thing when you wake up. Read more about this here.
Treatment Options
Once your optometrist has figured out why your eyes are dry, the next step is to form a treatment plan.
- Evaporative Dry Eye
• Artificial Tears with Lipids: Artificial tears specifically formulated for evaporative dry eye contain lipids (fats) that help replace the missing oil layer and prevent quick evaporation for symptomatic relief.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Adding omega-3s through diet or supplements can improve the function of the meibomian glands and the quality of the tear film.
• Warm Compresses and Lid Hygiene: Regularly applying warm compresses to your eyelids with a wheat bag followed by a massage at home can help liquefy and release the blocked oils.
• Prescription eye drops or medication: Your optometrist may prescribe some medicated eye drops or oral medication to help calm down the inflammation that causes dry eye.
• In-office Meibomian Gland Expression: This procedure manually unblocks the meibomian glands, allowing them to produce oil again. This is usually done after steaming up the oil glands with Blephasteam goggles or after IPL treatment.
• IPL: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) can help reduce inflammation around the eyelids and stimulate the meibomian glands to produce a better-quality oil to form a protective barrier over your tears. People who have had IPL treatment will not need to use eye drops as often and the results can last from 6 months up to several years. It is recommended to come in on an as needed basis (as often as every 6 months) for a repeat IPL session to keep the meibomian glands working properly.
- Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye
• Punctal Plugs: can be inserted into your tear ducts to prevent the drainage of your natural tears, keeping your eyes moist for longer periods.
• If you have this form of dry eye, you may be eligible for a subsidy for lubricating eye drops. Your optometrist can apply for the subsidy on your behalf.
Final Thoughts
Understanding whether your dry eye is caused by evaporative issues, aqueous deficiency, or both is crucial for finding the right treatment. Visiting an optometrist is the first step toward identifying the root cause of your discomfort. Once diagnosed, a treatment plan can provide relief and improve your quality of life.
Book in for a dry eye evaluation here.
Clare Coventry
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