Dry Eyes

Dry eyes cause irritating symptoms like grittiness, burning, and redness. At Vistasite Eye Care of Sheepshead Bay, Stanislav Ilyusha, OD, and the experienced eye care team diagnoses and helps you manage dry eyes to restore eye moisture and comfort. If you have dry eye symptoms, call the office in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, or use this website to set up an appointment online. 

What are dry eyes?

Dry eye disease affects about 20 million Americans. Dry eyes occur when moisture in your eyes is inadequate. Usually, this happens when your eyes don’t produce enough tears to form to protect your eye’s outer layer. You simply don’t have enough tears to keep your eyes moist and comfortable.

What are the symptoms of dry eyes?

Dry eyes show up as eye discomfort that might include:

• Scratchy, gritty eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Burning or stinging sensations
• Eye redness or irritation
• Excess, stringy eye mucus
• Feelings of having something in your eye
• Problems with night driving
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty wearing contact lenses
• Watery eyes

Dry eyes may develop due to inadequate tear production, an imbalance in tear composition, or increased tear evaporation. 

Am I at risk of developing dry eyes?

Dry eyes can affect anyone, but people with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Sjogren’s syndrome are at a greater risk. 

As you age, you’re also more prone to dry eyes. Women are also more likely to develop dry eye, largely due to hormone changes that occur during pregnancy or menopause. 

Other factors that contribute to your risk of dry eye include:

• Having a previous eye surgery 
• Contact lens wearing 
• Dry environment
• Poor blinking habits
• Too much screen time

Regularly taking certain medications, including antihistamines, diuretics, heart medications, ulcer medications, and birth control pills, may explain your dry eye.

How do you treat dry eyes?

You may benefit from lifestyle changes, like adding a humidifier to a dry inside environment or consciously blinking and taking breaks from screen time. 

The team at Vistasite Eye Care of Sheepshead Bay treats dry eyes with eye drops or prescription and nonprescription medications. If these treatments don’t help, they may also recommend punctal plugs. These tiny plugs fit into the tear ducts called the puncta. The puncta drain tears from your eyes. 

Punctal plugs fit right into the puncta to block tears from draining from the eye. You keep more tears to preserve moisture and comfort and eliminate the burning and itching of dry eyes.

Call Vistasite Eye Care of Sheepshead Bay or use this website to book an appointment online if you need help finding relief from dry eyes.