Do you find yourself rubbing your eyes constantly throughout the day? Are your eyes itchy and uncomfortable all the time? While there are many reasons why your eyes might feel itchy, one common cause is dry eye. Dry eye happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears to keep your eyes lubricated, or when your tears don’t work properly. Let’s take a closer look at what causes this condition and how to treat it.
What are the main causes of dry eye?
Dry eye can happen for various reasons. Aging and hormonal changes are linked to dry eye, along with environmental factors like air conditioning, heating systems, and dry air. Some medications, like antihistamines, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications, can also cause or worsen dry eye symptoms. Additionally, medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and lupus can contribute to dry eye.
Symptoms of dry eye
Dry eye symptoms can vary from person to person, but they often include:
- Dryness, burning, or stinging in the eyes
- Itching, scratchy eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurry vision
- Redness in the eyes
- A feeling of grittiness or like something is in your eye
How to find relief from dry eye
Treatment for dry eye will depend on how severe your symptoms are and what’s causing them. For milder cases, you might only need to make a few lifestyle changes like using a humidifier, taking breaks from screens, or trying over-the-counter artificial tears. But for more severe cases, you might need prescription eye drops that help reduce inflammation or more advanced treatments.
For many patients, OptiLight IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy is a highly effective treatment option. This innovative technology uses gentle pulses of light to reduce inflammation and stimulate tear production, relieving dryness and discomfort.
If you’ve been dealing with itchy, dry eyes, it’s important to get the right diagnosis and treatment to keep your eyes healthy and comfortable. Our eye doctors offer effective dry eye treatment in Tacoma, Washington. We provide a range of dry eye treatment options, including OptiLight IPL therapy. While dry eye can be chronic, treatment can help you maintain healthy eyes, reduce dryness and discomfort, and prevent vision loss. Make an appointment with us today and start feeling better.