Key Takeaways
- Dry eye happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears or your tears dry too fast.
- Burning, grittiness, redness, blurry vision, and even watery eyes can all point to dry eye.
- Screen time, dry air, some medications, and certain health conditions can play a role.
- Screen breaks, lubricating drops, and a humidifier can help ease mild symptoms at home.
- An eye exam can help if your symptoms show up often or don’t ease.
Dry Eyes Have Identifiable Symptoms
You may have dry eyes if your eyes often burn, feel gritty or tired, or look red. Other common symptoms include blurry vision that comes and goes, as well as frequently watery eyes. If any of these sound familiar, our team at Erie Shores Eyecare offers dry eye consultations and treatments to help our patients in Leamington and Essex find a path towards relief.
What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye disease occurs when your eyes don’t make enough tears or when your tears evaporate too quickly. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and they tend to come and go. Often, they get worse as the day goes on.
Dry eye also tends to become more common as you age.
Common Signs You May Have Dry Eyes
Signs of Discomfort
- Your eyes burn, sting, or feel gritty.
- It feels like something is stuck in your eye.
- Your eyes feel heavy and tired at the end of the day.
Other Symptoms
- Your eyes look red, especially after screen time or reading.
- Your vision turns blurry, or bright light bothers you.
- Your eyes water more than usual (this might seem strange, but it’s your body’s natural reaction to dryness).
What Contributes to Dry Eye?
Your Surroundings & Daily Habits
Picture a winter morning in Essex County, with the furnace humming inside and a cold wind blowing off Lake Erie. Both of these factors can make dry eye worse. In fact, your environment and your routine are both important contributors to how your eyes feel.
- Dry indoor air, wind, smoke, and allergens can all bother your eyes.
- Fans or sleep apnea masks can blow air on your eyes overnight, reducing moisture levels.
- You tend to blink less during screen time, reading, or TV. Because blinking replenishes tears, screen time therefore tends to make your eyes drier.
Medications and Health Conditions
Some factors come from inside your body. The following are all linked to dry eye:
- Medicines like allergy pills, sleep aids, and blood pressure medications.
- Medical conditions like diabetes, thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome.
- Hormone changes from pregnancy, menopause, or birth control can affect your eyes.
Simple Ways to Ease Dry Eye at Home
Mild dry eye often responds well to small changes in your routine. Here are a few steps that can help:
- Take regular screen breaks and blink often.
- Try lubricating drops. Make sure to choose options without redness relievers.
- Run a humidifier at home and wear sunglasses outdoors.
When to Seek Dry Eye Treatment in Ontario
Signs It’s Time for an Eye Exam
Home care has limits, and it’s not always enough to resolve dry eye. Long-term dryness may even cause damage to the surface of your eye, so you should book an appointment with your optometrist if you experience the following:
- Your symptoms show up often.
- Your symptoms don’t ease with home care.
- New symptoms appear, or your discomfort worsens.
Whether you visit an Essex, ON optometrist or a Leamington eye clinic, our team can examine your eyes and talk you through what you’re feeling day to day.
Treatment Options for Severe Dry Eye
For more stubborn dry eye, we may suggest options like:
- Prescription drops to help calm inflammation or support your tears.
- Punctal plugs, which help your tear film last longer.
The right treatment plan depends on your symptoms, your habits, and your own health history, so we’ll need to take a look at your eyes before we make a recommendation.
Find Relief for Dry Eyes in Essex County
Gritty, tired, or watery eyes can make your workday drag and your evenings harder to enjoy. But you don’t have to settle for that feeling.
At Erie Shores Eyecare, we offer dry eye treatment alongside eye disease management, myopia control for kids, and laser eye consultation appointments. Book a visit today, and let our team help you feel more comfortable.
