Dry Eye Disease
A dry eye is a condition in a person who 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. Dry eye is a common and often chronic problem, particularly in older adults.
With each blink of the eyelids, tears spread across the front surface of the eye, known as the cornea. Tears provide lubrication, reduce the risk of eye infection, wash away foreign matter in the eye and keep the surface of the eyes smooth and clear. Excess tears in the eyes flow into small drainage ducts in the inner corners of the eyelids, which drain into the back of the nose. Dry eyes can occur when tear production and drainage are not in balance.
People with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears or their tears are of poor quality:
- Inadequate amount of tears.
- Poor quality of tears.
People with dry eyes may experience irritated, gritty, scratchy, or burning eyes; a feeling of something in their eyes; excess watering; and blurred vision. Advanced dry eyes may damage the front surface of the eye and impair vision.
At Ravindranath center for eye care, we have a special dry eye evaluation that is individualized to the patient’s underlying cause and symptoms. With this, we will be able to offer you the treatment that best suits your eyes and is not a size fits.
The dry eye clinic is every Thursday and Saturday and patients with severe dry eye are seen on these days. These tests will help us localize the specific cause of the discomfort. Treatments for dry eyes aim to restore or maintain the normal amount of tears in the eye to minimize dryness and related discomfort and to maintain eye health.