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Optometrists Cary NC |
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Cary Family Eye Care
10110 Green Level Church Rd
Suite 102, Cary, NC 27519
(919) 465-7400 |
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| Dry Eye |
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Dry eye is a condition in
which there are insufficient tears to lubricate
and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for
maintaining the health of the front surface of
the eye and for providing clear vision. People
with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears
or have a poor quality of tears. Dry eye is a
common and often chronic problem, particularly
in older adults.
With each blink of the eyelids, tears are spread
across the front surface of the eye, known as
the cornea. Tears provide lubrication, reduce
the risk of eye infection, wash away foreign
matter in the eye, and keep the surface of the
eyes smooth and clear. Excess tears in the eyes
flow into small drainage ducts, in the inner
corners of the eyelids, which drain in the back
of the nose. |
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Dry eyes can result from an
improper balance of tear production and
drainage. |
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Inadequate
amount of tears – Tears are
produced by several glands in and
around the eyelids. Tear production
tends to diminish with age, with
various medical conditions, or as a
side effect of certain medicines.
Environmental conditions such as
wind and dry climates can also
affect tear volume by increasing
tear evaporation. When the normal
amount of tear production decreases
or tears evaporate too quickly from
the eyes, symptoms of dry eye can
develop. |
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Poor quality
of tears – Tears are made up of
three layers: oil, water, and mucus.
Each component serves a function in
protecting and nourishing the front
surface of the eye. A smooth oil
layer helps to prevent evaporation
of the water layer, while the mucin
layer functions in spreading the
tears evenly over the surface of the
eye. If the tears evaporate too
quickly or do not spread evenly over
the cornea due to deficiencies with
any of the three tear layers, dry
eye symptoms can develop. |
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People with dry eyes may
experience symptoms of irritated, gritty,
scratchy, or burning eyes, a feeling of
something in their eyes, excess watering, and
intermittent blurred vision. Advanced dry eyes
may damage the front surface of the eye and
impair vision.
Treatments for dry eyes aim to restore or
maintain the normal amount of tears in the eye
to minimize dryness and related discomfort and
to maintain eye health. |
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What causes
dry eyes?
The development of dry eyes can have
many causes. They include: |
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Age – dry
eye is a part of the natural aging
process. The majority of people over
age 65 experience some symptoms of
dry eyes. |
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Gender –
women are more likely to develop dry
eyes due to hormonal changes caused
by pregnancy, the use of oral
contraceptives, and menopause. |
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Medications
– certain medicines, including
antihistamines, decongestants, blood
pressure medications and
antidepressants, can reduce the
amount of tears produced in the
eyes. |
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Medical
conditions – persons with
rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and
thyroid problems are more likely to
have symptoms of dry eyes. Also,
problems with inflammation of the
eyelids (blepharitis), inflammation
of the surfaces of the eye, or the
inward or outward turning of eyelids
can cause dry eyes to develop. |
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Environmental
conditions – exposure to smoke,
wind and dry climates can increase
tear evaporation resulting in dry
eye symptoms. Failure to blink
regularly, such as when staring at a
computer screen for long periods of
time, can also contribute to drying
of the eyes. |
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Other factors
– long term use of contact lenses
can be a factor in the development
of dry eyes. Refractive eye
surgeries, such as LASIK, can cause
decreased tear production and dry
eyes. |
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How are Dry eyes Treated?
Dry eyes can be a chronic
condition, but your doctor can
prescribe treatment to keep your
eyes healthy, comfortable, and
prevent your vision from being
affected. The primary approaches
used to manage and treat dry eyes
include adding tears, conserving
tears, increasing tear production,
and treating the inflammation of the
eyelids or eye surface that
contributes to the dry eyes. |
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Adding tears
– Mild cases of dry eyes can often
be managed using over-the-counter
artificial tear solutions. These can
be used as often as needed to
supplement natural tear production.
There are many artificial tear
products available, and they are not
all created equal. Ask your
optometrist which one is right for
you. Some people may have persistent
dry eyes that don’t respond to
artificial tears alone. Additional
steps need to be taken to treat
their dry eyes. |
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Conserving tears
– An additional approach to
reducing the symptoms of dry eyes is
to keep natural tears in the eyes
longer. This can be done by blocking
the tear ducts through which the
tears normally drain. The tear ducts
can be blocked with tiny silicone
plugs known as punctal plugs. The
goal is to keep the available tears
in the eye longer to reduce problems
related to dry eyes. Punctal plugs
are very effective at reducing the
need for artificial tears and
maintaining a healthy ocular
surface. Your optometrist can
perform this quick and safe
procedure during your office visit. |
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Increasing tear
production – For moderate to
severe dry eye, prescription eye
drops that help to increase
production of tears can be
recommended by your optometrist. One
common prescription dry eye
medication is Restasis (cyclosporine
ophthalmic emulsion). Restasis helps
increase your eyes’ natural ability
to produce tears, which may be
reduced by inflammation due to
chronic dry eye. Nutritional
supplementation with omega 3 fatty
acids can also be an effective way
to increase tear production,
especially if the lipid layer of the
tear film is deficient. The doctors
at Cary Family Eye Care recommend
the HydroEye supplement. HydroEye
delivers a proprietary blend of
omega fatty acids (GLA, EPA and DHA),
antioxidants and other key nutrients
that work together to support a
healthy tear film and dampen
inflammation. |
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Treatment of the
contributing eyelid or ocular
surface inflammation –
Prescription eye drops or ointments,
warm compresses and lid massage, or
eyelid cleaners may be recommended
to help decrease inflammation around
the surface of the eyes. |
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