Hi! I am an ocular hygienist here at Vision Therapy Institute and I want to tell you what I have learned about dry eyes (also known as ocular surface disease).
Dry Eye: “Dry eye is a condition in which a person doesn’t have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision.”
Directly from AOA.org
Dry eye is so much more than your eyes “feeling dry”. Did you know that dry eye can present as teary or watery eyes, redness, and itchiness? More times than not, actual lack of tears is NOT the problem! Usually, the quality of your tears has more of an impact. This can be caused by multiple different factors, such as age, medications, health conditions, and what we are exposed to in the environment!
Your oil glands, (also known as meibomian glands) have a HUGE factor in this!
Meibomian Gland Disfunction: “Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) happens when oil-secreting glands in your eyelids don’t secrete the quantity or quality of oil you need to prevent your eyes from drying out. MGD is a very common cause of dry eye syndrome.”
Directly from my.clevelandclinic.org
Did you know that the products you use for skincare can lead to symptoms of ocular surface disease AND clog your oil glands? Our everyday makeup products can be a big problem when it comes to dry eyes! These products often have harmful chemicals that can worsen these symptoms.
There are so many factors that lead to ocular surface disease. As technology is advancing, we can learn so much more, and treat so much more to provide lasting comfort, relief, and treatment. Please follow my next blog post for some of our treatment options we currently use in the office!
Please visit our Dry Eye Clinic for more information!
