Eye Doctors 96002

Dry eye syndrome, also known as tear deficiency syndrome, often confuses our patients because when you suffer from this condition you tend to have eyes that water a lot. Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eye doesn’t produce tears properly, or when your tears are not the right consistency, and they evaporate too quickly. Well educated in dry eye syndrome treatment, the experts at our Redding eye care office will discuss all possible treatments, including prescriptions for antibiotics, or Restasis, and might also recommend using small silicone plugs to block tear production in your eye drainage system. Over the counter remedies are usually not very effective for treating dry eye problems and unfortunately, dry eye syndrome treatment tends to be long term, with improvement taking some time. However, ignoring dry eye early on can lead to further uncomfortable conditions such as stinging, blurry eyes, and inflammation of your eye’s surface. If left untreated, this condition may lead to ulcers, scars on your cornea, and some loss of vision. However, permanent vision loss from dry eye syndrome is very uncommon.

96002 Dry Eye Syndrome

Constantly produced to bathe, nourish, and protect the surface of your eye, tears are also produced in response to emergencies, such as a particle of dust in the eye, an infection or irritation, and the onset of strong emotions. As part of your complete Redding eye care at Enterprise Optometry Group, we inform our patients that when the lacrimal glands don’t produce sufficient tears, dry eye syndrome can be the result. Dry eye syndrome can be a temporary or chronic condition that can also be a side effect of some medications, including antihistamines, nasal decongestants, tranquilizers, anti-depressants, Parkinson's medications, birth control pills, and even some blood pressure medications.

Depending on the causes of your dry eye syndrome, our Redding eye care specialists may use various approaches to treat your dry eye syndrome. Our first priority is to determine if an actual disease is the cause, and, if so, it’s necessary to treat that specific disease. Cyclosporine, an anti-inflammatory medication, is the only prescription drug available to treat dry eye syndrome and it decreases corneal damage as it increases basic tear production. In some cases of severe dry eye, short term use of corticosteroid eye drops is necessary and these will decrease inflammation. In other cases, a simple surgery, called punctal cautery, is recommended to permanently close your drainage holes. The focus at our Enterprise Optometry Group is to make sure you understand your condition, the best possible form of treatment, and making you as comfortable as possible as we continue.

Dry Eye Syndrome Redding
3080 Victor Ave
Redding, California 96002
530-222-3166

By Enterprise Optometry Group

March 20, 2014