If you have noticed that your eyes seem to be irritated, red, or scratchy, you may have a condition called dry eyes. While many patients simply pick up some type of artificial tears, it is important to note that this option is only treating the symptoms and not doing anything to fix the underlying condition.
If you think or know that you have dry eyes, call our office to schedule an appointment today. Our staff is equipped to help diagnose the causes of dry eyes and offer you different treatment options to fit your busy life!
Dry eyes can often seem like a simple irritation. While irritations can sometimes be temporary, prolonged or severe irritation can result in permanent damage and vision loss.
Understanding the causes of dry eyes can help you identify the proper treatment plan. However, dry eyes can often be caused by some factors that you can take care of at home too. Individuals that smoke has a higher likelihood of experiencing dry eyes, and sometimes, quitting smoking is enough to resolve your dry eye. Wind can also quickly evaporate the fluid from your eyes leaving you with dry eye.
While glasses can help to reduce the amount of wind that makes it to your face, you can also talk to one of our trained staff to make sure you get eyewear that will protect your eyes from the environments you are in. Certain types of glasses will offer less protection, but making sure that they fit your face shape is something that can be more difficult for our patients to identify.
Dust or other debris that gets into your eyes can also cause dry eye. If your home environment is particularly dusty, you may invest in an air filtration system to remove the particles from your home. However, this can often be an expensive investment, and you may want to come into our office to see if there is a more cost-effective solution.
There are many potential treatment options that are available to help treat dry eyes. One of the most common purchases made for dry eyes is artificial tears. These eye drops can offer great immediate relief from many of the causes of dry eyes. However, they should not be used as a long-term solution for dry eyes. Additionally, many artificial tear solutions are not appropriate for use with contact lenses.
If you have continued to use artificial tears for more than a few days, it is time to schedule an appointment. Our offices provide a variety of services that can help resolve your dry eye symptoms without having to continually put eye drops into your eyes.
After an examination to identify the cause of your dry eyes, our doctors may prescribe a stronger artificial tear solution. These prescription medications come in more concentrated doses and are more effective and don’t need to be applied as frequently.
Our offices can also place a punctum plug. This is a small plug that is inserted into part of the eye so that your tears don’t drain as freely out of the eye. Sometimes keeping your natural eye fluid on your eye longer is all it takes to resolve your issue.
Our doctor may also recommend a change to your diet or an increase in the amount of water that you drink.
One thing is clear; our staff is trained and equipped to identify and treat the causes of dry eye. If you have been experiencing dryness, redness, irritation or itching in your eyes, call Lifetime Vision and Eye Care in Miami Gardens, FL to schedule an appointment today (305) 902-3320.
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