Dry eye syndrome is a chronic and typically progressive condition. It happens when tears evaporate too quickly, or if the eyes produce too few tears. It can affect one or both eyes and can lead to inflammation if not consulted a Dry Eye Specialist soon. Depending upon its cause and severity, it may or may not be completely curable. It is more common to individuals where malnutrition results in a Vitamin A deficiency.

Causes

Dry eyes are caused by a lack of adequate tears. Your tears are a complex mixture of water, fatty oils, and mucus. This mixture helps make the surface of your eyes smooth and clear, and it helps protect your eyes from infection. For some people, the cause of dry eyes is decreased tear production. For others, it is increased tear evaporation and an imbalance in the makeup of your tears.

Decreased Tear Production

Dry eyes can occur when you’re unable to produce enough tears. Common causes of decreased tear production include:

• Aging
• Medical conditions like diabetes, thyroid, vitamin A deficiency
• Tear gland damage

Increased Tear Evaporation

Common causes of increased tear evaporation include:

• Wind, smoke, or dry air
• Blinking less often while reading, driving, or working on the computer
• Eyelid problems

Imbalance in Tear Composition

Problem with any of the layers of the three basic layers of eyes – oil, water, mucus can cause dry eyes.

Symptoms

A patient with dry eye syndrome may experience a range of symptoms like:

• stinging or burning sensation
• feeling like sand in the eye
• stringy mucus in or around the eyes
• eye sensitivity to wind or smoke
• redness of the eyes

Treatment

There are successful treatments of dry eyes syndrome that requires the patient to follow the doctor’s recommendations and use the products the doctor recommends consistently and as frequently as directed. Below given are some of the successful treatments of dry eyes syndrome:

• Artificial Tears: For mild cases of dry eyes which are caused by excess computer use, reading, schoolwork, and other causes, the best treatment would be simply using artificial tears or lubricating eye drops.
• Lacrisert: It is a sterile, slow-release lubricant that is placed under the lower eye. It slowly liquefies over time providing an all-day moistening effect. This relieves dryness, burning, watery eyes, itching, and blurred vision.
• Restasis: Instead of using artificial tears, a professional doctor from a dry eye treatment center might recommend daily use of an eye drop called Restasis. In addition to lubricating the eyes, it reduces inflammation and helps to produce more natural tears to keep your eyes moist, comfortable, and healthy.
• Lotemax: It is a corticosteroid eye drop that is used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions and anterior segment of the eye. It is contraindicated in most viral and fungal diseases of the cornea and conjunctiva. It is highly effective and very safe anti-inflammatory medicine which makes it one of the best choices to treat dry eye syndrome.
• Serum Tears: Conventional treatments for dry eye do not heal the top layer of the cells (epithelial cells) on the cornea. These epithelial cells become very sick and fall off the cornea. Serum tears are manufactured from the patient’s own blood and plasma which contain epithelium promoting growth factors and many essential components present in natural tears to act as good replacement for natural tears.
• Punctal Plugs: These are tiny and biocompatible devices that are no larger than a grain of rice which are inserted into tear ducts to block drainage. The blockage increases the eye’s tear film and surface moisture to help relieve certain forms of dry eye. These plugs are also called punctum plugs, occluders, or lacrimal plugs. This treatment is usually considered when various eye drops fail to improve the dry eye syndrome.

Dry Eye Syndrome can be managed with over-the-counter remedies, medical interventions, and self-care methods. Maintaining good communication with your eye care professional can help you to learn how to minimize any discomfort and maintain proper eye health. Florida Eye Care Associates is one such dry eye clinic in Miami that has the latest eye care technology and delivers fantastic services.