We Can Help You Find Relief From Your Uncomfortable Dry Eye Symptoms

What is Dry Eye?

Dry eye is common and affects millions of Americans. According to the National Eye Institute, nearly five million Americans over age 50 have dry eye, with millions more Americans experiencing less severe symptoms of it.

We can help determine the severity of your dry eye, and how to treat symptoms of discomfort. Utilizing industry-leading diagnostic equipment, such as the OptoVue iVue and the Zeiss Visucam, our eye care team gain a clear picture of your eye health. Underlying causes that may be exacerbating dry eye symptoms are uncovered and treated (as appropriate).

We Can Help Relieve Your Symptoms

Don’t live with discomfort from dry eye. We will work with you to formulate a treatment plan that addresses your symptoms, improves your comfort, and has a positive impact on your quality of life.

Schedule an appointment to meet with Dr. Baldwin.

More About Dry Eye

In a nutshell, dry eye is caused by a lack of proper eye lubrication. Your eyes either don’t produce enough lubrication, or the lubrication they do produce doesn’t do its job properly.

Dry eye can be difficult to self-diagnose and benefits immensely from management with an optometrist. Dr. Baldwin has been treating Wichitans for dry eye since 2011 and can help relieve your symptoms.

Symptoms

Dry eye symptoms often vary wildly from person to person. Because of this fact, it is best to have your case of dry eye properly diagnosed.

Symptoms include:

A persistent stinging or burning sensation in the even, even when the eyes are closed
Periods of blurry or hazy vision
A feeling as if a piece of sand or speck of dust is in the eye
Conjunctivitis
A stringy, sticky discharge from the eye
Episodes of excessive tears, followed by prolonged periods of dryness
Difficulty concentrating when reading or using the computer
Eye fatigue

Causes

Dry eye has numerous causes, ranging from environmental factors to other diseases. Many medications can also cause dry eye as a side effect, as can some surgical procedures (such as laser eye surgery). The most common causes of dry eye are:

Side effects associated with medications (fairly common with antihistamines, decongestants, birth control pills, and antidepressants)
Skin diseases around the eye and eyelid
Meibomian gland dysfunction, which is a major contributor towards dry eye
Digital eye strain, prolonged computer use
Poor diet and lifestyle factors, including smoking
Allergies

Treatments

Dry eye treatment revolves around providing the appropriate lubrication to the affected eyes. Treatment begins with common “lightweight” techniques, including warm compresses and lubricating eye drops. For most people, the combination of lubricating eye drops and some lifestyle changes is sufficient.

More severe symptoms will be addressed via more advanced treatments, such as Restasis or Xidraa (prescription eyedrops which encourage your eyes to produce more natural tears) as well as punctal plugs (which act as an obstruction in the drainage passage, reducing lubrication loss).

Even more comprehensive options can be undertaken if the above fail to show results. These include corticosteroid eye creams, which can be used temporarily to reduce inflammation, as well as treatments such as IPL and LipiFlow.