Do you find yourself with overly dry, irritated, and itchy eyes? You may suffer from dry eye syndrome, something that can be easily addressed when you make an appointment to visit our welcoming and qualified optometrist in Nashville. It’s estimated that upwards of 4.88 million Americans, typically age 50 or older, struggle with dry eye syndrome. More than half of that number are women, too, who more commonly suffer from dry eye syndrome.
Dry eye syndrome is a frustrating condition that can leave your eyes feeling tired and irritated at the end of the day. Luckily, there are several relatively easy treatments available! If you’ve been struggling with dry eye syndrome, it’s time you made an appointment with our highly rated optometrist in Nashville. Make your appointment online today!
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Dry eye syndrome tends to be a chronic condition, and though there are ready treatments available, it’s unlikely to be permanently cured. There’s a lot we can do to alleviate the symptoms and improve your quality of life, though! The first step in treating dry eye syndrome will be to schedule an appointment with our Optometrist in Nashville for a comprehensive eye exam. We’ll want to make sure we’ve addressed any potential underlying conditions first. There can actually be a number of causes for dry eye syndrome, including:
- Reduced production of tears, which can happen as we age and with hormonal change (especially in women).
- Keeping contact lenses in the eye for too long.
- Staring at a computer screen for too many hours each day.
- Exposure to environmental irritants or allergens.
- Side effects of medications.
- Very cold air or windy weather.
- Eye surgery, injury, infection, or other underlying medical conditions interrupting or reducing tear production.
Treatments for Dry Eyes
If you’re experiencing symptoms like excessive watery discharge / tearing, feeling as though you have sand or grit in your eyes, red, itchy, burning, irritated eyes, bright light sensitivity, or blurred or transient blurred vision, you may have dry eye syndrome. Though it’s likely you’ll need to treat these symptoms over the course of your life, treatment is often easy.
Some of the possible treatments for dry eye syndrome include the following:
- Medications (oral or eye drops) that reduce irritation and return moisture to the eyes
- Specific contacts for the patient’s individual dry eye needs
- Preoperative and Postoperative care for tear duct plugging and other interventions
- Possible LASIK referral for patients with chronic contact lens intolerance or discomfort
- Lifestyle and nutritional recommendations
Music City Optical is home to Dr. Connie James, the leading Optometrist in Nashville. After a comprehensive eye exam, Dr. James will help you determine the proper course of action that is best for you and your eye health. Are you ready to return your eyes to their healthy and natural state? Reach out to our Optometrist in Nashville today, and schedule your comprehensive eye exam!
