Dry eye is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide, and its symptoms can vary in severity. It's crucial to recognize the signs of dry eye early to seek appropriate treatment and improve your eye health and comfort.
Common Symptoms to Look Out For
Experiencing dry eye symptoms can greatly affect your daily life and overall health. These symptoms can disrupt your work, hobbies, and even your ability to carry out everyday tasks comfortably.
The constant discomfort and distraction caused by these symptoms can lower your productivity and overall quality of life.
Here are common signs that may indicate dry eye syndrome:
- Dryness:
A persistent sensation of dryness, grittiness, or eye irritation. - Itching:
Frequent itching or a burning sensation in and around the eyes. - Redness:
Bloodshot or red eyes, often accompanied by discomfort.· - Excessive Tearing:
Paradoxically, your eyes may produce more tears as a response to dryness, leading to watery eyes. - Blurry Vision:
Vision may become temporarily blurred, particularly when reading or using digital screens. - Light Sensitivity:
Increased sensitivity to light, known as photophobia. - Foreign Body Sensation:
Feeling as though something is in your eye. - Eye Fatigue:
Increased eye fatigue, especially during prolonged periods of reading, screen time, or other visually demanding tasks.
Ignoring dry eye symptoms can lead to worsening discomfort and potential complications. Chronic dry eye can damage the eye's surface and increase the risk of eye infections, scarring, and vision loss. Seeking professional guidance if you're experiencing any of these symptoms is crucial.
Dry Eye Diagnosis and Expert Care
When you choose Metropolitan Optical – 18th Street for your dry eye care, you benefit from our expertise in comprehensive diagnosis. We understand that your unique health history and lifestyle can affect your dry eye differently, which is why we practice personalized care tailored to you. Our approach includes:
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In-Depth Eye Exams
During a comprehensive eye exam, we evaluate your eyelids, eye surface, and your complete health history and lifestyle to identify potential underlying causes of dry eyes.
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Tear Assessment
We conduct a detailed assessment of your tears, measuring their volume and quality. This assessment helps us identify any deficiencies in tear quantity or quality, crucial factors in dry eye diagnosis.
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Tear Breakup Time
Using advanced techniques like tear breakup time measurement, we identify specific areas of your eyes where tears may evaporate more rapidly. This information aids in tailoring your treatment plan.
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Specialized Dry Eye Test: Schirmer Test
This test involves placing blotting test paper strips on the lower eyelids to measure tear production over a specific time. It helps determine the volume of tears your eyes produce.
Dry Eyes in Washington
Meet our Eye Doctors
- Monday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
- Tuesday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
- Wednesday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
- Thursday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
- Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed
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Consult Our Dry Eye Experts
At Metropolitan Optical – 18th Street, our experienced eye care specialists are ready to help you find relief from dry eye symptoms. We understand these symptoms' impact on your daily life and are committed to improving your eye health and comfort.
Contact us to schedule an appointment and discuss your dry eye symptoms. Let's work together to find the most suitable treatment and enhance your quality of life.
