Dry eye is a condition where the eye has decreased tear production or increased tear evaporation. Sometimes people do not produce enough tears or the right quality of tears to keep their eyes healthy and comfortable. Some of the symptoms of dry eye include burning eyes, scratchiness, excessive tearing, redness or discomfort especially when wearing contact lenses.

There are many causes of dry eye. Tear production normally decreases as we age and is more common in women especially after menopause. Dry eye can also be associated with other problems such as environment, medications (especially antihistamines) and different systemic conditions (Sjogren’s syndrome, arthritis, Lupus, etc.). Our doctors are highly trained in evaluating the eyes for signs of dry eye and will treat/manage your dry eye with the appropriate modality. For moderate to more severe cases there are several options available. Restasis is a prescription eye drop that can be used to encourage the eye to produce more natural tears, punctal plugs can be inserted into the tear ducts to stop tears from draining from the surface of the eye too quickly and sometimes steroid drops are necessary to alleviate inflammation. Please call our office to schedule an appointment with one of our optometrists to discuss your options.