Dry Eye: Tips from the Experts

We sat down with the dry eye specialist at Downtown Vision, Dr. Mather, to discuss all things dry eyes from prevention to treatment. 

We hear you're the dry eye specialist for Downtown Vision. What exactly is dry eye?

Dry eye is a condition in which a person doesn't have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision.

What are some causes for dry eyes?

Dry eye has many causes: hormones, medications, living in a dry environment, wearing contact lenses and aging would be the most common ones.

We heard you mention living in a dry climate. Would you say that living in Nevada increases the risk for developing dry eye?

Absolutely! 

What are some of the symptoms that people experience when they have dry eye?

Vision that fluctuates throughout the day, blinking frequently, dry, irritated, scratchy, gritty, burning, red eyes, sensitivity to light, sensation of having something in your eye, difficulty wearing contacts for more than a few hours, worse symptoms in windy or air conditioned environments.

When do you recommend a patient see a doctor?

If you have any symptoms you should see a doctor, if you have tried self-treating with over-the-counter medications, you should see a doctor, especially with the recent outbreak of contaminated eye drops leading to blindness and death.

What does treatment look like?

There are many treatments available, eye drops are the most common, but changes in your environment like adding a humidifier can also help. There are even pills and a nasal spray that can help with dry eye.

Lastly, how can patients prevent dry eye in their day to day life?

A well balanced diet and good general health would help protect against developing dryness, yearly exams with your eye doctor will help find early symptoms as well. 

If you think you might have dry eye, contact us today to schedule an appointment with us to talk about how we can help.