What is Dry Eye?

Dry eye occurs when your tear glands do not produce enough tears or the right type of tears. The human eye has two main types of tear glands – the lacrimal gland and the meibomian gland. The lacrimal gland is responsible for emotional crying. The meibomian gland is responsible for clear vision and keeping the eye hydrated. Dry eye disease occurs when the meibomian glands don’t work properly to create a tear film. In the early stages, the symptoms seem to appear and disappear and generally worsen as the day progresses.

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Dry eye disease has many possible causes, including age, gender, environment, medications, systemic diseases, and poor diet. Dry eye symptoms include the following:

• Stinging or burning eyes
• Pins and Needles
• Stringy mucus in or around the eyes
• Excessive eye irritation from smoke or wind
• Excess tearing
• Discomfort when wearing contact lenses

Dry eye disease is a chronic condition that can’t be cured; however, there are many treatment options available to help manage the disease. Our experienced team is equipped to administer a variety of treatment options including, Preservative Free Artificial Tears, Restasis and Xiidra.

For others, the closure of the tear drainage system with punctal plugs may be necessary. The plugs work by temporarily blocking the tear drainage channel in the inner corner of the eye, which retain more moisture in the eye.