Dry, irritated eyes can be more than an annoyance. While a one-off experience may mean nothing, frequent dryness is usually a sign of a problem.
Dry eye disease is a common condition that can cause various irritating symptoms. You’re not alone if you have this condition—an estimated 16 million Americans have chronic dry eyes. While this condition can be uncomfortable, treatment can help relieve your symptoms.
Our optometrists can help diagnose the underlying cause of your dry eyes and create a treatment plan. Together, we can work to relieve your symptoms.
Book an appointment with Bettner Vision in Colorado Springs and see how we can help manage your dry eyes.
The symptoms of dry eyes are often exactly that: dry, irritated eyes. While this sensation is most common, dry eye disease has other symptoms, including:
Dry eye disease is a condition that occurs when your tears cannot effectively lubricate your eyes. The main causes of this condition are poor tear quality and inadequate tear volume.
Your tears have 3 main elements that keep your eye’s surface clean and protected: mucin, water, and oil (known as meibum). Mucin makes sure your tears spread across the eye evenly. Meibum creates a coating on the eye’s surface to help prevent tears from evaporating too quickly.
A lack of mucin affects how your tears distribute across the eye’s surface, and a lack of meibum can cause your tears to dry out faster. Both of these factors lead to dry and irritated eyes.
Your lacrimal glands in and around your eyelids are essential for producing tears. However, swelling can occur, causing these glands to produce an inadequate amount of tears, or tear production can block completely.
The quality and quantity of your tears can diminish for several reasons:
Dry eyes are typically chronic, but treatment can help manage this condition, relieving your symptoms. We can recommend several management strategies after determining the root cause of your dry eyes.
BlephEx is an effective in-office treatment used to relieve dry eye symptoms caused by meibomian gland dysfunction, blepharitis, and other eyelid hygiene problems.
This handheld device features a spinning medical-grade sponge that we use along the edge of your eyelids to remove accumulated bacteria that contributes to eye irritation. Some people require this treatment every 4–6 months to promote the healthy production of tears.
Eyelid cleansers can help keep the eyelids clean and meibomian glands clear. These products help remove oil, debris, pollen, and other contaminants from the eyelid area. We offer a variety of pre-moistened cleaning pads and cleansers at Bettner Vision.
We conduct tests to determine if your meibomian glands function well during your eye exam. These glands can become blocked, affecting the oil needed for your tears. We’ll massage the clogged glands if we identify them so they can open and release oil as intended.
The number of expressions needed can vary from person to person. You may only require one treatment, or you may need more if there is a significant blockage. We can complete as many treatments as needed until your glands work properly.
We offer other strategies to help relieve your dry eye symptoms, such as medicated eye drops or supplements and nutritional changes for at-home treatment.
Dry eyes can significantly affect your ability to enjoy everyday life due to irritation. However, this condition is treatable with help from a professional. We can determine the cause of your dry eyes and recommend a treatment plan to relieve your symptoms.
Contact us if you’re interested in dry eye therapy.
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Bettner Vision is conveniently located in the Marketplace at Briargate, on the corner of North Union Boulevard and Family Place. You can find us beside Sushi Rakkyo and the T-Mobile store.
