What Factors Make Dry Eye Syndrome Worse?

Dry eyes can cause irritation and even pain, preventing you from reading or working on the computer. Symptoms can even stop you from enjoying activities you love. Patients who suffer from dry eyes on a daily basis may have a common condition called dry eye syndrome. If you believe you have chronic dry eye syndrome, call the experienced eye specialists at Wang Vision Institute. Dr. Ming Wang and Dr. Josh Frenkel can evaluate your symptoms and provide noninvasive treatment options in Nashville, TN.

Dry eye symptoms

Dry eye occurs when your natural tears are not sufficient to lubricate your eyes. This may be due to the quality or quantity of your tears. Because tears are essential to our overall eye health, you may experience inflammation and swelling, as well as blurry vision. Many people feel as if they have sand in their eyes. Dry eye syndrome may even lead to an overproduction of tears to alleviate the condition. Other dry eye symptoms include:

• Stinging

• Pain

• Burning

• Itching

• Soreness

• Light sensitivity

What makes dry eye worse?

Dry eye syndrome is usually attributed to an underlying health condition or environmental issue. Once these problems are diagnosed and addressed, dry eye symptoms may reduce or disappear. When you meet with a specialist at Wang Vision Institute, we can perform a health assessment and ask about your lifestyle habits. This will help us determine the source of your dry eyes so we can move forward with treatment in Nashville, TN:

• Too much screen time: we understand that desktops and smartphones are an everyday part of our lives. However, bright screens lead to drier and more aggravated eyes. Our facility recommends focusing on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes to help.

• Medications: some prescription medications cause your eyes to dry out. So while you are trying to treat one condition, you may end up accidentally causing another one. Remember to read your prescription labels thoroughly if you want to avoid chronic dry eye syndrome. Finding an alternative drug may even relieve your symptoms. Please consult with your doctor before changing medications.

• Seasonal changes: changes in temperature and seasonal allergies can contribute to dry eyes. This can happen during cold winter months or in a particularly warm summer. Patients may want to invest in a humidifier or allergy medication to avoid that feeling of dryness.

Dry eye syndrome treatment

If you have tried the above suggestions and your dry eye symptoms still have not improved, visit Wang Vision Institute for an assessment. There may be another underlying condition that may be discovered during an eye exam. Dry eye syndrome treatment can include prescription or nonprescription artificial tears. Complicated cases may require LipiFlow, where glands in the eyelids are massaged gently to promote natural tear production. Our clinic is proud to be one of the top centers in Tennessee for LipiFlow.

Treat chronic dry eye syndrome

Do you experience uncomfortable symptoms, like stinging or grittiness, in your eyes? Do not allow dry eye syndrome to affect your quality of life any longer. Dr. Ming Wang and Dr. Josh Frenkel offer successful dry eye syndrome treatment when you call for an appointment in Nashville, TN. Wang Vision Institute is proud to offer a range of options, like artificial tears and LipiFlow, so you can live in comfort.