What Is Dry Eye?
Your body relies on tear production to keep your eyes moist. Under certain conditions tear production can decrease to a point that is not sufficient to keep your eyes feeling comfortable.
The leading causes of dry eye are:
A decrease in tear production due to age
75% of people over 65 suffer from dry eye.
Laser eye surgery
Environmental conditions
Conditions such as wind, cold, smoke, air pollution and high altitude can contribute to dry eye.
Wearing contact lenses for extended periods of time
Symptoms of some diseases
Ex: Rheumatoid arthritis, rosacea, lupus and Sjogren's syndrome (dry eyes, dry mouth and rheumatoid arthritis or lupus)
Menopause
Infrequent blinking
Looking at a computer screen for long periods of time
Treatment
There are several ways in which dry eyes can be treated.
If it is only a mild case then artificial tears may be prescribed. Restasis eye drops are similar to artificial tears but, instead of acting as the tears, Restasis drops promote greater tear production.
If the case is more severe punctal occluders may be needed. These small devices are used to obstruct the punctum, or tear duct, to prevent tears from escaping too quickly, thus helping keep the eyes moist. These small objects are painless to insert and 100% reversible.
Another option for severe dry eye treatment are LACRISERT inserts. These inserts are small capsules that are placed in the pocket of the eyelid in each eye 1-2 times per day. They begin to slowly dissolve as soon as they are in place and provide dry eye relief all day.
There is also a third treatment option. Tranquileyes are goggles that patients wear at night. The goggles keep the eyes moist helping to minimize the effects of dry eye. These goggles are also useful for patients who have itchy allergy eyes.
While Tranquileyes work during the night to keep your eyes moist, there is also a daytime solution to fight the symptoms of dry eye. 7Eye sunglasses seal around your eye to protect against dust, pollen, wind and other environmental conditions to help minimize the effects of dry eye. 7EYe sunglasses come in a range of stylish designs.
