Do you wake up with mucus around your eyelids?
Do you have scratchy, itch eyes?
Are your eyes red?
You may have a condition called dry eye.
What is dry eye?
Dry eye is when your eyes don’t have enough tears to keep them moist.
It’s very common, in fact more than 20% of Australians are affected by it.
People who use a computer for long periods, and women, are more likely to have dry eyes. Plus older people can also be more susceptible.
What are the symptoms of dry eyes?
If you have dry eyes you may experience some of these symptoms:
- Sore eyes
- Red eyes
- Blurred vision
- Itchy eyes
- Gritty feeling
- Tired eyes
- A burning or stinging sensation
- Difficulty opening eyelids in the morning
- Discomfort wearing contact lenses
- Increased sensitivity to light, wind and smoke
- Excessive tearing or watery eyes
- Feels like something is in your eye
What protects against dry eye?
Our tear film is important for our eyes and is made up of three layers:
- Inner mucin layer
- Middle aqueous layer
- Outer lipid layer
The inner layer is made up of mucus that coats the eye’s surface and helps evenly spread the water layer over the surface of the eye.
The aqueous (watery) layer makes up most of the tears and contains vitamins and minerals that help keep your eyes nourished. This layer also keeps your eyes lubricated and gets rid of unwanted particles.
The outer layer seals the tear film. It prevents the mucin and watery layer from evaporating and keeps your tears from drying too quickly.
When this balance is disrupted, you can develop dry eye.
Dry eye treatment is easy, quick and affordable.
Some people try to treat their dry eye with over-the-counter drops – without success.
The best solution is to make an appointment with your optometrist who will assess your condition. Gulf & Ranges Optometrists use the Anteres corneal topographer which has software designed to help in the detection and analysis of dry eye.
The optometrist will analyse the quality of your tears and the health of your eyelids and create a treatment program for you.
Options may include E-Eye Intense Pulsed Light treatment that aids meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Results are visible a couple of hours after the treatment and the effect is cumulative. It’s best to have all three treatments so that the results continue for months.
Rexon Eye technology is a non-invasive device that stimulates the metabolism and the natural regeneration of the tear production system, delivering excellent long-term results.
