Dry Eye

Some people do not produce enough tears or the appropriate quality of tears to keep the eye healthy and comfortable. This is known as dry eye, and can become quite debilitating for some people.

What are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?

Symptoms of dry eye include stinging or burning eyes, scratchiness, stringy mucus around the eye, intermittent blurry vision and excess tearing.

What Causes Dry Eye?

Tear production normally decreases as we age and women are affected more often than men. This is especially true after menopause. Also, a wide variety of common medications can cause dry eye by reducing tear secretion. Some of these medications include diuretics, beta-blockers, antihistamines, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications and pain relievers.

How is Dry Eye Diagnosed?

Dry eye is usually diagnosed during your eye exam, and tests that measure tear production can be performed.  At Elmquist Eye Group, we are able to grade the severity of your dry eye disease with the Tear Osmolarity Lab. The Tear Lab measures salt content in your tears, allowing the physician to properly treat the dry eye syndrome in accordance to the severity of the condition.

Click here to learn how dry eye is treated