Did you know that tears are not just the body’s way of conveying happy or sad emotions? Tears actually play a part in protecting your eyes and providing clear vision. They produce lubrication to allow for the smooth and comfortable movement of and interaction between the eyeballs and the eyelids. If your tears evaporate or dry up too quickly or if your eyes produce fewer tears than necessary, you could experience dry eye. This is a condition where the surface of either one or both eyes dry out, causing friction between the eyelids and eyeballs and causes some “break-down” in the surface layers of the eyes, leading to discomfort when blinking or leaving the eye open.
Dry eyes can also cause fluctuating and/or poor vision, as the tears are the first surface that light passes through on the way into the eye and the tears also keep the surface layer of the eye healthy, smooth and clear. When this layer becomes dry, its surface gets rough and this causes distortion of light passing through on its way to the retina, resulting in blurry vision.
Dry eyes can also cause periodic tearing or watering. There are two systems that produce our tears: the main one generates the basic amount needed to keep the eye moist and the second one’s role is to flush the eye(s) when we get something in the eye, when they get irritated, or when we get emotional, and that system only knows how to make a lot of tears. So when the first system isn’t functioning optimally, the eyes start to sense they are too dry and that’s when the second system turns on and our tears run and eyes water.
At View Eye Care, many of our patients suffer from varying degrees of dry eye symptoms, including stinging, burning, red eyes, fluctuating vision, and eye fatigue. There are several causes for dry eyes and, therefore, several different ways of treating the issue, some of which use new technologies and advanced, cutting-edge treatments.
Over the years, several innovations have been made in this area of the eye and vision care, leading to a better quality of life for many of our patients. The newly developed dry eye treatments are helpful for those ranging from minor periodic symptoms to those with more severe complaints.
Treating dry eyes and alleviating the symptoms can dramatically improve quality of life, vision, and ability to function while doing everyday activities. To determine the best treatment for dry eyes, we first need to get to the cause of this issue. Dry eyes can be the result of poor eating habits and diet, excessive computer use, medication or illnesses, as well as environmental factors such as humidity, type of lighting, dust, vapors and exposure to conditions that dry the eyes quickly, such as heat and airflow. Once the cause(s) of this problem is identified, we can recommend the necessary treatment(s).
The treatment for dry eye can be as simple as sleeping well, drinking more water, eating certain specific foods and supplements, and avoiding environments that dry your eyes. You may be prescribed artificial tear drops in some cases, or if your condition is more severe, you may benefit from more sophisticated, intricate, or involved forms of treatment(s).
The cost of dry eye treatment generally depends on the treatment method, the products, the technology recommended, and the frequency of treatment needed. At View Eye Care, we offer a wide range of solutions to treat and manage dry eyes. Our doctors and staff will recommend an individualized treatment plan for your specific needs after thoroughly assessing your eyes and going over your daily routine, habits, diet, environment, etc.
Our top-rated eye clinic and optical boutique in Toronto, Ontario, is designed to offer the best form of eye care and thoroughly educate you about your condition and treatment. Our optometrists and staff are committed to delivering an exceptional patient experience with every interaction. Our team also strives to make every aspect of each visit pleasant, efficient, and educational.
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