Learn How Dry Eye Syndrome Affects Your Vision

Dry eye syndrome is a common eye condition that affects patients at Wang Vision Institute in Nashville, TN. It occurs when you don’t have enough tear production to lubricate your eyes properly. Tears are necessary for providing clear vision and for the best possible eye health. When your eyes don’t have these tears, they can become uncomfortable and you may experience blurry vision. Dr. Ming Wang and Dr. Josh Frenkel offer eye exams to diagnose and treat dry eye syndrome for their patients. They provide different dry eye syndrome treatments to help resolve this eye condition.

Causes of dry eyes

Your tears have three layers: the oily outer layer, the watery middle layer, and the inner mucus layer. When these glands don’t produce enough for all layers, your tears become inflamed. This can lead to dry eye syndrome.

Dry eye is especially common in women who are pregnant or on hormone replacement therapy. Those with lupus, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic allergies, or who take nasal decongestants, birth control pills, antidepressants or antihistamines, or who have had LASIK eye surgery are all more at risk for developing dry eye syndrome. Long-term contact lens wear and prolonged computer use can also cause dry eye syndrome.

How dry eye syndrome affects your vision

Some of the most common signs you have dry eye syndrome include:

• Redness, burning, itchiness, or pain in your eyes

• Watery eyes

• Mucus

• Blurred vision

• Lack of tear production

• Dryness or scratchiness

• Difficulty wearing contact lenses

• Eye irritation

• Sore eyes

• Headache

Many dry eye syndrome patients say their eyes feel heavy and sore, which leads to light sensitivity and trouble seeing at night. Thankfully, at Wang Vision Institute, we can properly treat these dry eye symptoms with different treatments.

Diagnosing dry eyes

When your eyes suddenly feel different, it’s important to schedule a visit to Wang Vision Institute in Nashville, TN. Our vision professionals can perform tests to examine the number of tears in your eyes. We use a dye, known as fluorescein, to make the tear film on your eyes easier to see. We also can use a Schirmer’s test that measures how quickly your eyes can produce tears. We can look at the quality of the tears and how long it takes your tears to dry. All of these tests allow Dr. Wang and Dr. Frenkel to diagnose dry eye syndrome in their patients.

Dry eye syndrome treatment

Your dry eye treatment will be customized based on the underlying condition causing your dry eye symptoms. After an exam and discussion of your medical history, we will choose what treatment will work best for you. Patients with mild dry eye syndrome may benefit from the use of prescription or non-prescription artificial tears. They help to supplement your natural tear production.

When you have a more severe case of dry eye syndrome, we may suggest LipiFlow, which is a treatment where the glands in your eyelids are warmed and massaged to promote improved tear production. We also can use special plugs in your tear ducts known as punctal occlusion to seal them off to hold your natural tears in the eye. The amniotic membrane contact lens is beneficial to dry eye syndrome patients and was created by Dr. Wang. We also can use the BlephEx™ treatment on the eyelids to clear away debris that may be causing your dry eye syndrome.

Learn about dry eye syndrome treatment options in Nashville, TN

At Wang Vision Institute, we offer superior eye care to patients suffering from dry eyes. While this is common, it shouldn’t affect your quality of life. When you’re suffering from symptoms associated with dry eye syndrome, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ming Wang or Dr. Josh Frenkel in Nashville, TN. They can discuss your symptoms with you to determine the best treatment option for your eye health. Restore your vision today with dry eye syndrome treatment.