Shreveport Dry Eye Relief

If your eyes are red, itchy and irritated, you may be one of the countless individuals bothered by dry eye. Dry isn’t just a minor annoyance; it’s a chronic condition that can wreck your quality of life, interfere with your vision and possibly even damage your eyes. Either optometrist at Silverblatt Eye Clinic, Dr. Sam Silverblatt can help you track down the cause of your dry eye and prescribe the right combination of treatments to help you minimize this vexing problem’s impact on your everyday life.

The Discomforts of Dry Eye

Healthy eyes are constantly bathed in a substance known as tear film. This three-layered coating comes from a steady supply of tears produced by the tear glands surrounding the eye. A layer of mucin (mucous) makes direct contact with the corneal surface and helps to anchor a layer of water. A layer of oil, produced by eyelid glands called meibomian glands, sits on top of these other two layers to hold the eye moisture in place. Your tears must offer all three of these ingredients in the right balance with each other to keep the eyes lubricated, hydrated and protected. So while some cases of dry are the result of insufficient tear production, others are caused by unbalanced tears that evaporate too quickly. Symptoms of dry eye include:

• Redness in the white of the eye
• Eye itching or a “gritty” feeling, as if a foreign object is stuck in your eye
• Sensitivity to bright light
• Watery eyes (if the tear ducts are trying to overcompensate for easily-evaporated tears)

If your eyes aren’t properly coated by tear film, discomfort and vision problems may be just the beginning of your worries. Chronic dry eye can leave the delicate corneas exposed to potential diseases, injuries, and ulcerations that leave corneal scarring.

Diagnosis and Treatment at Our Eye Doctor in Shreveport

Dry eye can be caused by a number of factors, from age-related tear reduction and windy surroundings (such as the use of overhead fans) to medicines and underlying health conditions that promote dryness. Even your computer usage habits can contribute to dry eye since eyes blink less frequently when they’re viewing digital displays. Your eye doctor in Shreveport can analyze your tear film composition and quantity to determine whether your problem is related to imbalance, lack of tear production, or both. We will also evaluate your health, lifestyle, and work habits to help us create your personalized dry eye treatment plan. You may benefit from:

• Over-the-counter or prescription eye drops
• Punctal plugs to help the eyes retain moisture
• Treatment to relieve blockages in the meibomian glands
• Changes to your medical treatment regimen
• Environmental or work-schedule changes 

Dry Eye Relief in Shreveport!

Don’t let your quality of life dry up due to dry eye problems. Call 318-798-4000 today to schedule diagnosis and treatment from your eye doctor in Shreveport! We look forward to meeting with you!