Posted by: Mann Eye in Eye Health

Occasional dry eye symptoms? No big. Most people deal with dry eye periodically and don’t even…bat an eye (sorry; couldn’t help it). This kind of dry eye is not a major concern and can usually be handled easily with simple home remedies.

Do you deal with occasional dry eye? Try these tips your mom probably already told you about:

Warm Compress

Aaaahhhh. A warm washcloth across your eyes can help ease occasional dry, irritated, itchy eyes. Tears are made of oil, water and mucus, and your eyes need all three to stay hydrated and healthy. Inflamed eyelids may clog the oil-making glands and lead to dry eye. To help ease irritation and loosen clogged oils, wet a clean washcloth with warm water, wring it out, and place it over your closed eyes for at least a minute. Gently press the edge of your eyelid with your finger. The moisture and heat will help loosen up the clogged oils in the glands. The benefit is twofold: it feels great and you’ll look very dramatic lying down with a cloth draped across your eyes.

Blink, Blink

Obvs. But here’s why. Most of us use smartphones, tablets, computer screens, and other electronics for several hours a day. Staring at a screen actually reduces the number of times you blink per minute. Science says so. To counteract this phenomenon, try to remember to blink often when you’re online. Follow the 20/20 rule: close your eyes every 20 minutes for 20 seconds.

Drink, Drink

Every single part of your body needs water to stay healthy and this includes your eyes. Drinking water helps keep them stay hydrated. But don’t wait until you’re thirsty to start. By then, you may already be slightly dehydrated. Most experts agree we should aim for eight to 10 glasses throughout the day. And no, coffee and soda don’t count!

What Causes Dry Eye?

Dry eye describes a condition where your eyes don’t produce the right quantity or quality of tears to be healthy or comfortable. This contributes to what is known as an evaporative dry eye affecting the Meibomian glands. This is the leading cause of dry eye. Dry eye is a chronic condition affecting over 100 million people worldwide.

That’s a lot of folks suffering!

When to See a Pro

If you’ve tried all that and your eyes are still bothering you, don’t feel discouraged. Just because dry eye is common doesn’t mean you have to just deal with it.

Mann Eye Institute has an Ocular Surface Treatment Center dedicated to helping people just like you overcome their chronic dry eye.
One of our dedicated vision specialists can perform a series of thorough diagnostic tests to evaluate your unique ocular surface condition. Your personal dry eye assessment may include:

  • Tear Volume Measurement
  • Tear Evaporation Rate
  • Ocular Allergy Antigen Testing
  • Tear Sampling for Inflammation Markers
  • Meibomian Gland Imaging
  • Corneal Topography
  • Corneal Mapping for Aberrations
  • Anterior Segment Photography
  • Optical Coherence Tomography
  • Testing for Sjogren’s Syndrome

Once our doctors have a full assessment of what is causing your issues and the severity of your case, they can recommend a custom dry eye treatment plan to get you on your way to overcoming dry eye!

How Do We Treat Dry Eye?

Glad you asked! At Mann Eye Institute, we have several treatment options for dry eye, and the results of your dry eye assessment will help us determine which treatment gives you the best chance at saying bye-bye to dry eye!

A few options include:

LipiFlow – a non-invasive procedure that addresses the most common form of dry eye
THERMIeyes – a non-invasive procedure that relieves dry eye while tightening the skin around the eye
Scleral Lenses – keep eyes hydrated and improve visual acuity
Amniotic Membrane Contact Lenses – dissolve into the eye to naturally heal dry eye

Mann Eye Institute boasts an impressive 40 years of serving the eye care needs of people in Houston and Austin. Our Ocular Surface Treatment Center is dedicated to helping people with their chronic dry eye issues. Make an appointment where we can diagnose and treat your dry eye symptoms with the latest available technology.