DRY EYE TECHNOLOGY
When tears decrease in frequency, Dry Eye is typically the result.
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Dry Eye Syndrome, referred to as DES, is a chronic eye condition that occurs when the eyes produce an insufficient amount of tears or when the tears lack the essential oils that lubricate the eye’s surface. (This often results in watery eyes and excessive tearing!). A well-lubricated eye blocks foreign bodies or substances from irritating the eye’s surface.
Dr. Hutchins treats patients from all over San Antonio, Texas who have Dry Eye symptoms, helping them achieve long-lasting relief from Dry Eye Syndrome.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry Eye can result from a number of factors, including genetics, the natural aging process, or prescription medications, to name a few.
Hormonal changes are a common cause of Dry Eye. In fact, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking oral contraceptives, or experiencing menopause find that their eyes feel dry and uncomfortable during these times. Women over the age of 50 have a 50% greater chance of developing DES than men of the same age.
Common Symptoms of Dry Eye
Patients with DES experience a number of symptoms that can disrupt their daily activities or cause chronic pain.
The most common signs of DES include the following:
- Blurriness
- Burning
- Dryness
- Feeling as if something is in your eye
- Irritation
- Itchy eyes
- Pain
- Red eyes
- Stinging
- Watery eyes
Those who suffer from DES often try to alleviate the pain by blinking either less or more often, rubbing their eyes, or by using over-the-counter artificial tears.
Why is blinking important? Blinking is healthy because it naturally moisturizes the eyes and gets rid of tiny particles that may enter the eye. Less blinking can increase dryness, itching, or redness, making DES symptoms even more acute.
Rubbing your eyes, especially when they’re already irritated, can intensify your symptoms. This is because the added pressure can make the pain worse. If your hands aren’t 100% clean, you can unintentionally spread germs or bacteria into your eyes when you rub them. Rubbing the eyes can also cause tiny blood vessels to break, increasing the redness of your eyes.
Artificial tears provide some temporary relief by lubricating the eyes with a medicated solution. These can be quite effective at alleviating soreness and itchiness, however, excessive use isn’t recommended. Many brands include preservatives, which aren’t good for your health in the long-term. Other preservative-free brands can, over time, fail to relieve the basic Dry Eye symptoms. Patients may find that having to continuously purchase artificial tears can become costly, and consistently using them throughout the day disrupts their daily activities.
Dry Eye Treatments
Typically, DES is treated with medicated eye drops, anti-inflammatory drops, or a heated compress. Occasionally, the doctor may recommend punctal plugs. These are tiny devices that are inserted into the eye’s tear duct, blocking any drainage. This can alleviate DES symptoms by preventing moisture from draining out of the eye, instead keeping them inside the tear duct area. This increases the moisture level, giving longer-term relief. Plus, punctal plugs are not permanent and can be easily removed or replaced, making them a simple, affordable solution to alleviate symptoms.
Dry Eye Technology
Advancements in medical technology and scientific breakthroughs have made treatment for Dry Eye easier, with quicker results, and longer-lasting benefits.
Texas State Optical Stone Oak has some of the most cutting-edge and advanced technologies to quickly and effectively test for Dry Eye Syndrome. Let Dr. Hutchins and the talented, experienced staff help get you started on the path to real long-term relief from Dry Eye.
Punctal plugs are tiny medical devices that sit in the tear ducts in the eyes to help prevent tears draining away, which helps to keep the eyes moist. People with chronic dry eye do not produce enough tears and the tears they do make are low quality. This can cause the eyes to feel dry throughout the day. Punctal plugs help to lubricate the eyes, which can alleviate the symptoms of chronic dry, itchy, or burning eyes.
Lubricant eye drops are artificial tears that replace the moisture that is lost on your eyes surface. The viscousness of artificial tears such as Oasis TEARS® PLUS and Oasis TEARS® lubricate the eyes to relieve the gritty dry sensations that cause irritation. Dr. Hutchins often recommends preservative-free artificial tears such as these. Oasis TEARS® can be used as needed to relieve dry eye symptoms.
Lids, lashes and skin get moisturized using a gel cleanser like Oasis LID & LASH®, which increases the skins moisture in two weeks by up to 20% according to a third party testing facility using a Corneometer (a tool to measure skins moisture retention).
HydroEye is a patented nutritional formulation that works from the inside out to provide continuous support for dry eyes. HydroEye, the focus of clinical research, 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 soothe the ocular surface.