The Eye Gallery

Dry Eye Treatment in Wichita, KS

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Symptoms of Dry Eyes

Dry eye symptoms usually affect both eyes and can include:

  • Stinging, burning, or scratchy eyes
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Blurry vision
  • Eye fatigue
  • Redness
  • Stringy mucus in the eyes
  • Excessive eye watering (a response to the irritation of dry eyes)
  • Difficulty driving at night
  • Discomfort while wearing contact lenses

What Causes Dry Eyes?

Ultimately, dry eyes occur when your tears don’t provide sufficient lubrication for your eyes, although there are many reasons why dry eyes initially develop:

How Our Tears Work

You may not think about them all that often, but our tears are essential for maintaining our ocular health and helping us see clearly. Not only do they help focus the light that enters our eyes, but they also protect our eyes from infection, keep them clean of dirt and debris, and nourish them.

Our tears are made of 3 layers:

  • The lipid (oily) layer keeps the tears from evaporating too quickly and keeps the surface of the eyes smooth.
  • The aqueous (watery) layer keeps the eyes wet and comfortable and nourishes the eye tissue.
  • The mucin (mucus) layer helps the tears stick to the surface of the eyes.

Tears are produced in the tear glands above your eyes, are spread across the eyes’ surfaces every time you blink, and then drain into your tear ducts or down your nose and face. Dry eyes occur when there’s an imbalance in the makeup of your tears, if they evaporate too quickly, or there’s a decrease in tear production.

Diagnosing & Treating Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are easily diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam. Because treatment depends entirely on the kind of dry eyes you have, we focus on a thorough understanding of the root cause of your dry eyes. The results of these tests will allow us to determine the source of your dry eyes and put together a fully customized treatment plan and provide you with the relief you so need.

A dry eye evaluation includes:

  • A self-evaluation called the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness Questionnaire (SPEED). It’s a subjective evaluation by the patient of their own dry eye symptoms. This questionnaire assigns a score between 0 to 28 based on 8 items that assess frequency and severity of symptoms.
  • A comprehensive eye exam, including a complete family and ocular history and discussion of lifestyle or environmental factors contributing to your dry eyes.
  • A measurement of the volume of your tears using the Schirmer test. This test involves placing blotting strips under your lower eyelids to determine your tear production. Although this test won’t tell us why you have dry eyes, it will confirm that you do indeed have dry eyes.
  • A test to determine the quality of your tears using a specialized dye test. This dye stains your eye’s surface and highlights gaps in your tear film and allows us to detect abnormal tear production.
Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the underlying cause of your dry eyes. If your symptoms are caused by medication or a health condition, for example, changing the medication and treating the health condition may likely address your dry eye symptoms.

There are many treatments and therapies available, including:

  • Prescription medications. These can include medications to control eyelid inflammation and cornea inflammation, tear-stimulating medications that come in pill, gel, or eyedrop form, or eye inserts placed under your eyelid and dissolve slowly, lubricating your eyes.
  • Punctal plugs. These tiny plugs are placed in the tear ducts and are designed to prevent your tears from draining too quickly.
  • Specialty contact lenses. Many lenses are designed to keep the eye hydrated or vault over the eye to trap moisture.
  • Warm compresses or eye masks. These are designed to help unblock the meibomian glands.
  • Over-the-counter artificial tears. With mild dry eye cases, these may be adequate, but please do talk with us first to help you find the best solution for your eyes.
  • Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy. The iProX uses light energy to treat the skin under the eyes, relieving inflammation and clearing oil blockages in the eyelid glands. This promotes the free flow of oil for longer-lasting moisture.
  • TearCare is a treatment method that can help those affected by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and chronic dry eye symptoms.
    Using a sterile, single-use flexible eyelid device, TearCare gently adheres to your eyelids, delivering precise localized heat therapy. It is designed to be a quick and effective 15-minute, in-office procedure that targets blocked meibomian glands to help improve tear function and provide lasting relief from dry eyes.

We will be able to determine the cause of your dry eyes during your next appointment. Let us develop a personalized treatment plan for you and help you find comfort and clarity today!

Our Services

Our Location

Our Address

12330 E. 21st St. N.
Wichita, KS 67206

Contact Information

Phone: (316) 315-0321
info@eyegalleryks.com

Our Hours

Monday
9 AM5 PM
Tuesday
9 AM5 PM
Wednesday
9 AM6 PM
Thursday
9 AM6 PM
Friday
9 AM5 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

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