Dry Eye

What is dry eye syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome (DES), also known as dry eye disease, is a condition in which a person doesn’t have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision.
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What causes dry eye syndrome?

Often times, with dry eye suffers, it is found that there is an imbalance of the ratio of healthy fats in the body. Therefore the meibomian glands, located at the ridge of the eyelids, may become inflamed and the oil they produce becomes thick. Thickening of the oil causes blockages in the glands and prevents the production of the important tear film lipid layer. Without this lipid layer, the tear layer evaporates, resulting in dry eyes and blurred vision.

Is there available treatment for DES?

Dry eyes can be a chronic condition, but your optometrist can prescribe treatment to keep your eyes healthy and comfortable and to prevent your vision from being affected.

The primary approaches used to manage and treat dry eyes include adding tears using over-the-counter artificial tear solutions, oral supplements, increasing tear production, and treating the inflammation of the eyelids or eye surface that contributes to the dry eyes.
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