Dry Eyes & Excessive Eye Watering

Irritation, discomfort, and eyes that sting and burn red all have you longing for a different reality – one in which your vision is comfortable and your eyes aren’t constantly tired or in pain.

At iCare Vision, your dry and/or excessive eye watering issues can be solved for good.

Keep reading to learn about dry eyes, why a dry eye problem can sometimes cause watery eyes, and the treatment that is available for both:

What is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome is an extremely common condition that stems from poor eye lubrication and nourishment by a low tear production.

In fact, dry eyes are so common that there is more than three million cases reported each year in the United States.

To fully understand why your eyes are dry, it’s important to know how a normal and proper eye lubrication process should go:

Each time you blink, the surface of your eye (the cornea) is blanketed with lubricating, nourishing tears. Tears are vital to the health and proper functioning of your eyes because they break apart and wash away foreign matter, reduce the risk of eye infection, and keep the surface of the eye smooth.

Typically, this normal tear process will produce an excess amount of tears. Extra tears drain through small ducts on the inner corners of the eyelids and flow to the back of the nose, and the process starts all over again.

Dry eyes become prevalent when there is a disconnect between tear production and drainage.

Your dry eye symptoms are the result of your eyes either not producing enough tears or not making the right quality of tears.

Dry Eye Symptoms

Dry eyes can be sporadic or chronic in nature. Because the disease is caused by a lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye, dry eye symptoms can present themselves in the following ways:

• Eye fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Eye redness
• Burning, stinging, or itchy sensations
• Irritation when watching TV or looking at the computer screen
• Light sensitivity
• Grittiness, or feeling like there’s something in the eyes
• Stringy mucus in or around the eyes
• Watery eyes
• Tear gland damage
• Trouble with nighttime driving
• Trouble wearing contact lenses

A comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist can assess your overall eye health and help you alleviate your dry eye symptoms.

Let the experts at iCare Vision help you achieve clear, comfortable vision.

Dry Eye Causes

Dry eyes is rarely a one-size-fits-all disease, as it can originate from numerous conditions. With the results from a comprehensive eye exam, the eye doctors at iCare Vision can better identify and effectively treat the primary cause, leading to a long-lasting solution and soothed eyes.

Dry eye causes can include:

• Age
• Contact lenses
• Diabetes
• Eye surgeries, such as laser surgery
• High blood pressure medication
• Sleeping pills
• Shingles
• Antihistamines
• Anxiety medications
• Long-term exposure to dry or smoky environments
• Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome

These conditions all compromise the eye’s oil glands, tear ducts, or corneas to a certain extent and result in uncomfortable, dry eyes.

Dry Eye Treatment

A diagnosis from an optometrist is the only way to determine the exact root cause of your dry eyes. Once a cause is identified, the best treatment strategy for you can guide your recovery.

If it is determined that you have an occasional or mild dry eye condition, over-the-counter eye drops (artificial tears) may be recommended. Persistent and more serious dry eye conditions usually warrant other options.

It’s important to note that even through you don’t need a prescription for artificial tears, consulting with an optometrist before using is highly recommended. With any eye or vision discomfort and/or complication, there could be bigger problems that are void of symptoms.

Some treatment options will focus on reversing or managing your dry eye condition. Other treatment options will focus on improving your tear quality or slowing your tear drainage process.

Depending on your eye health and symptoms, dry eye treatment options include, but are not limited to:

• Treating the underlying cause of dry eyes, such as switching a medication, altering your lifestyle (like quitting smoking), etc.
• Taking a prescription medication to reduce eyelid inflammation, control cornea inflammation, stimulate tear production, and others.
• Wearing special contact lenses
• Unblocking oil glands
• Light therapy
• Punctal occlusion – plugging up the drainage opening in nase area of both lids
• Vitamins including omega 3 oils
• Several homeopathic remedies

Let’s cure your dry eyes:

Do You Live With Excessive Eye Watering?

Sometimes, the issue can feel like the eyes are too watery, instead of too dry.

If your eyes are constantly watery, it’s usually because of excessive tear production, or poor tear drainage.

Excessive eye watering is not necessarily harmful, but it can be just as irritating as dry eyes. More times than not, excessive watery eyes are actually caused by a dry eye problem because the eyes produce an excessive amount of tears to combat the chronic dryness and irritation.

Watery Eyes Treatment

Like dry eyes, the cause of excessive eye watering can usually be identified quickly to enact an effective treatment plan.

Your doctor will usually start by examining a small opening in your eye, called the puncta, to see if it is functioning properly.

Depending on the severity of the eye issue(s), watery eyes treatment is usually fairly simply, with eye drops and medications as the most proven and successful routes in most cases.

Occasionally, for severe tear drainage problems, surgery may be needed. Most surgical treatments, however, are quick and highly effective.

You Don’t Have to Live With Uncomfortable Vision: Give Your Eyes Relief

If your suffer from constant dry, itchy, red, irritated or excessively watery eyes, give iCare Vision a call and get the conversation about achieving comfortable vision started today.

Our exam to diagnose and treat dry eyes or excessive watery eyes is quick and painless. The optometrists at iCare Vision can identify the cause and triggers of your dry eyes and help ensure your vision is healthy.

Let us help you take the best care of your eyes.