Dry Eye In Toronto
Your Relief For Irritated, Dry Eyes
Dry eye disease can cause discomfort, redness, and blurred vision, affecting your quality of life.
At Bayview Vision, we specialize in diagnosing and treating dry eye to provide long-lasting relief. Using advanced diagnostic tools, we identify the root cause of your symptoms and create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. Whether it’s managing environmental factors, addressing underlying conditions, or providing targeted therapies, our expert team is here to restore comfort and improve your eye health. Say goodbye to irritation and hello to clearer, more comfortable vision.
What Causes Dry Eye Disease?
Tears can be inadequate and unstable for many reasons. For example, dry eyes may occur if you don't produce enough tears or if you produce poor-quality tears. This tear instability leads to inflammation and damage of the eye's surface. Dry eyes feel uncomfortable. If you have dry eyes, your eyes may sting or burn. You may experience dry eyes in certain situations, such as on an airplane, in an air-conditioned room, while riding a bike or after looking at a computer screen for a few hours.
Treatments for dry eyes may make you more comfortable. These treatments can include lifestyle changes, eyedrops, nutrition, and warm compresses. You'll likely need to take these measures indefinitely to control the symptoms of dry eyes.
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Dry eyes are caused by a variety of reasons that disrupt the healthy tear film. Your tear film has three layers: fatty oils, aqueous fluid and mucus. This combination normally keeps the surface of your eyes lubricated, smooth and clear. Problems with any of these layers can cause dry eyes.
Reasons for tear film dysfunction are many, including hormone changes, autoimmune disease, inflamed eyelid glands or allergic eye disease. For some people, the cause of dry eyes is decreased tear production or increased tear evaporation.
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Dry eyes can occur when you're unable to produce enough water (aqueous fluid). The medical term for this condition is keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Common causes of decreased tear production include:
Aging
Certain medical conditions including Sjogren's syndrome, allergic eye disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, graft vs. host disease, sarcoidosis, thyroid disorders or Vitamin A deficiency
Certain medications, including antihistamines, decongestants, hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants, and drugs for high blood pressure, acne, birth control and Parkinson's disease
Desensitized corneal nerves caused by contact lens use, nerve damage or that caused by laser eye surgery, though symptoms of dry eyes related to this procedure are usually temporary
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The oil film produced by small glands on the edge of your eyelids (meibomian glands) might become clogged. Blocked meibomian glands are more common in people with rosacea or other skin disorders.
Common causes of increased tear evaporation include:
Posterior blepharitis (meibomian gland dysfunction)
Blinking less often, which tends to occur with certain conditions, such as Parkinson's disease; or when you're concentrating during certain activities, such as while reading, driving or working at a computer
Eyelid problems, such as the lids turning outward (ectropion) and the lids turning inward (entropion)
Eye allergies
Preservatives in topical eyedrops
Wind, smoke or dry air
Vitamin A deficiency
Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease
Signs and symptoms of dry eye disease usually affect both eyes and may include:
A stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes
Stringy mucus in or around your eyes
Sensitivity to light
Eye redness
A sensation of having something in your eyes
Difficulty wearing contact lenses
Difficulty with nighttime driving
Watery eyes, which is the body's response to the irritation of dry eyes
Blurred vision or eye fatigue
Risk Factors
Factors that make it more likely that you'll experience dry eyes include:
Being older than 50. Tear production tends to diminish as you get older. Dry eyes are more common in people over 50.
Being female. A lack of tears is more common in women, especially if they experience hormonal changes due to pregnancy, using birth control pills or menopause.
Eating a diet low in vitamin A, which is found in liver, carrots and broccoli
Eating a diet low in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, walnuts and vegetable oils.
Wearing contact lenses or having a history of refractive surgery.
Complications Associated with Dry Eyes
People who have dry eyes may experience:
Eye infections. Your tears protect the surface of your eyes from infection. Without adequate tears, you may have an increased risk of eye infection.
Damage to the surface of your eyes. If left untreated, severe dry eyes may lead to eye inflammation, abrasion of the corneal surface, corneal ulcers and vision loss.
Decreased quality of life. Dry eyes can make it difficult to perform everyday activities, such as reading.
Ways To Manage Dry Eye
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Avoid air blowing in your eyes. Don't direct hair dryers, car heaters, air conditioners or fans toward your eyes.
Stop smoking and avoid smoke. If you smoke, ask your doctor for help devising a quit-smoking strategy that's most likely to work for you. If you don't smoke, stay away from people who do. Smoke can worsen dry eye symptoms.
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The air at high altitudes, in desert areas and in airplanes can be extremely dry. When spending time in such an environment, it may be helpful to frequently close your eyes for a few minutes at a time to minimize the evaporation of your tears.
Add moisture to the air. In winter, a humidifier can add moisture to dry indoor air.
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Consider wearing wraparound sunglasses or other protective eyewear. Safety shields can be added to the tops and sides of eyeglasses to block wind and dry air. Ask about shields where you buy your eyeglasses.
Take eye breaks during long tasks. If you're reading or doing another task that requires visual concentration, take periodic eye breaks. Close your eyes for a few minutes. Or blink repeatedly for a few seconds to help spread your tears evenly over your eyes.
Position your computer screen below eye level. If your computer screen is above eye level, you'll open your eyes wider to view the screen. Position your computer screen below eye level so that you won't open your eyes as wide. This may help slow the evaporation of your tears between eye blinks.
Use artificial tears regularly. If you have chronic dry eyes, use eyedrops even when your eyes feel fine to keep them well lubricated.