Explaining Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome

There are a large number of people who make appointments with eye doctors in Miami because they are suffering from dry eyes on a daily basis. While it’s not such a bad thing to have dry eyes for a day or two, suffering from dry eyes for weeks or months is a health issue that deserves attention. There are many reasons that people can suffer from this condition, and most of them can be resolved quite easily. In some cases, a patient will only need a prescription eye drop from their Miami eye doctor to resolve their issues. In others, though, patients will need to have a minor procedure to correct the problem.

Causes of Dry Eye Syndrome

The medication people are taking, the chemical makeup of their tears, the actual tear duct in the eye, and many other things can cause people to experience dry eyes on a regular basis. Dry eyes can lead to damage and also infections; the fluid in the eye acts as a natural barrier to keep out debris and bacteria. This is the main reason that an eye doctor in Miami is going to tell someone to address this problem– an optical infection can be a very serious thing, even if it’s caused by a common bacteria.

● A blockage in the tear duct. Sometimes people will experience a blocked tear duct that prevents their natural tears from reaching their eye. This can be resolved by opening the duct with a special tool and removing the blockage.

● Medications. Many medications people are taking will cause them to experience dry eyes. This is often a side effect of antihistamines or decongestants.

● The chemical makeup of the tears. Sometimes people will change their diet and their body will produce tears differently than before. This can cause the tears to evaporate too quickly, leaving them with dry eyes.

● Overly straining the eyes. People who are focusing too hard or staring at computer screens all day may develop dry eyes because they are straining their eyes too hard.

● The eye not producing enough tears naturally. There are drugs that can help to stimulate the production of tears, though.

What Can Be Done To Resolve Dry Eyes?

For someone who is only suffering from a minor case of dry eye, they can make use of over-the- counter lubricating drops. However, if someone’s eye is not naturally producing enough tears, then they will need to get a prescription drop from their Miami optometrist. There are special drops that can stimulate the eye into producing more tears naturally. Also, minor procedures may be necessary in some cases. The treatment for someone’s particular case of dry eye is going to depend on what’s actually causing it, but most of them are easily treatable.

photo credit: Young sadhu boys, India via photopin (license)