DRY EYE MANAGEMENT

Dry Eye Management

Dry, red, irritated, blurry, gritty eyes can range from a nuisance to debilitating. Our ever expanding dry eye clinic allows us to cater to each individual with a variety of in-office and at-home treatment options.We have many ways to treat dry eyes at Nora Eye Care, but the disorder is more than meets the eye.

The tears are made up of a watery – or aqueous – substance produced by the lacrimal gland, a thin inner layer of mucins, and an outer layer of oil called meibum. While the causes are many, there are two main types of dry eye: Aqueous Deficient and Oil Deficient.

Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye Syndrome means that the lacrimal gland is not producing enough of the watery part of the tears. Prescription eye drops can get the eyes producing more of your own tears. Treating any underlying systemic disease or changing medications that cause dry eye as a side effect can also help.

Oil Deficient Dry Eye is also known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. The meibomian glands are long, cylindrical glands in the eyelids that produce the oily part of the tears. When there is not enough oil, the watery part of the tears is exposed to air and evaporates quickly. This causes the tear film to be wavy and distorted across the front of the eye. It is like looking through wavy glass. Blinking will clear the vision until the tears start to evaporate again, but this on and off blur can be very debilitating.