Dry eye syndrome is an irritating condition which can leave your eyes feeling tired and uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to take over your day and steal your concentration. In fact, many people who are affected by dry eye can struggle with productivity at work, or be hit with a constant sensation of fatigue, even straight after a full night’s sleep.
While dry eye can be profoundly irritating and distracting, many people will neglect their symptoms, assuming that things will clear up on their own. By having your eye health examined by the independent optometrist operating within Woodstock Optical – Dr. Kassam – you will only lose an hour of your day to find out exactly what is causing your discomfort.
It’s a very common condition that affects around 30% of Canadian adults. Accordingly, high quality and accessible treatments have been developed, depending on the severity of your symptoms.
Possible Symptoms
Dry eye sufferers can experience anywhere from one or two to many of the following symptoms. If you notice any of them persisting, it’s worth getting a proper diagnosis.
Causes
Quite often it is caused by your environment: dry or recycled air can whip moisture from your eyes, and low-humidity environments can trigger the condition. Other possible causes include:
An independent optometrist at Woodstock Optical will carefully examine your eyes, paying careful attention to signs of dry eye. By using advanced imaging equipment, they can differentiate between dry eye and other similar conditions, as well as help pinpoint whatever has triggered the disease.
There are a variety of treatment options available, depending on the type and severity of your symptoms. In general, treatment will aim to lubricate your eye as this is the main cause of discomfort. Warm compresses and eye drops help reduce symptoms for the majority of people.
If your symptoms aren’t so easily managed, there are tear-inducing eye drops or even punctal plugs, which are small devices used to obstruct the drainage passage from your eye, thus maintaining lubrication.
In some cases, corticosteroid cream may be be applied to the eye, as well as advanced treatments like LipiFlow and IPL. The optometrist will discuss all of these options with you at length, as appropriate.
Since the air can play a large role in inducing dry eye, you can make simple lifestyle adjustments to help limit its impact. Try using a humidifier to keep the office air from drying out your eyes, or wearing sunglasses when out in the wind. If you can also drink lots of water and eat fluid-rich foods, your body’s overall hydration will help you out.
We are conveniently located in downtown Woodstock. You’ll find us at the end of Perry Street on Dundas Street, right between Coffee Culture and Crabby Joe’s.
Woodstock Optical
