Dry Eye

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Dry eye disease affects millions of Americans, and symptoms can range from occasional, mild irritation to debilitating and stubborn symptoms. Each time you blink your eye, tears spread across the surface of the cornea. Tears exist to provide lubrication to the eye, reduce the risk of infection, provide clear vision and to wash away foreign matter in the eye.

Dry eye occurs when the eye either does not produce enough tears or has an overall, poor quality tear film.  When staring at a screen our blink rates decrease dramatically.  This is a driving factor for a significant amount of dry eye disease now being seen at younger and younger ages.

Dr. Fulk takes it seriously to educate our patients on how they can not only treat their symptoms but also help prevent future damage.

Those with dry eye will experience symptoms such as:

• Irritation
• Scratchy or burning eyes
• Foreign body sensation
• Excess tearing or watering
• Intermittent blurry vision

Risk Factors of Dry Eye Disease

• Aging – Dry eyes are common as we reach our middle and later years
• Gender – Women are more likely to experience dry eye. Because of hormone changes
• Medical conditions – Those who have diabetes, thyroid problems, and rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to experience dry eye syndrome. Blepharitis, another common eye disease, is also often accompanied by dry eye syndrome.
• Environmental conditions – Exposure to wind, smoke, and dry climates can greatly increase tear evaporation, causing dry eye symptoms. Prolonged computer use can also take a toll on the eyes, as people often blink much less when staring at a screen.

Dry Eye Treatment

Treatments offered at Yukon Eye for dry eye disease include:

• Medically based Oasis artificial tears
• Bruder Mask Warm compress therapy
• Meibomian gland expression procedure by TearCare®
• Prokera healing membrane
• Oasis collagen punctal plugs insertions procedure
• Quality Nordic Naturals Algae Omega 3 supplementation
• Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy