Dry Eye Season is Here

Winter is here, along with its cold, dry air. From a dry eye perspective this means decreased humidity, making our eyes dry out more quickly. For some, this means gritty, red, and irritated eyes. For others, they experience excessive tearing-the eyes last-ditch effort to hydrate itself. To make matters worse, when our furnaces or car defrosters turn on, the circulating dry air additionally dries our eyes out.  What can be done? How can dry eyes be soothed?

Conservative measures can be a good first step. Artificial tears such as Refresh Relieva and Systane Complete are good starting points. These over-the-counter drops are typically used between 2-4x per day. These drops hydrate our ocular surface and temporarily relieve symptoms. Contact lens wearers may try Refresh Relieva for Contacts, also over-the-counter. Applying heat with a warm compresses can also be beneficial. A soft microwavable heating pad works best; once heated to a very warm but tolerable temperature, it can be applied to closed eyelids for 10 minutes. Usually patients do this twice daily. Patients can experience improved comfort by running a humidifier in their home or office.

These measures can be helpful but often patients need more help. Advanced Eye Care Center offers specialized dry eye evaluations aided by LipiView. LipiView is a unique technology that analyzes tear film quality, blink rate, as well as oil gland health. We believe in customized dry eye treatment plans specific to each patient. Additional treatment may include prescription-strength dry eye drops, LipiFlow, punctal plugs, oral medication, etc. Let us help you get through Dry Eye season. Dr. Ballitch and Dr. Finn can help your eyes feel their best! To get started, call us at 419-521-3937!