Dry Eye Therapy Parkland Eye & Vision Parkland Eye & Vision

Dry Eye Is Always In-Season

Whether you’re spending your day hiking through the snowy Washington wilderness or soaking up some sun at one of our many beautiful beaches, dry eye can occur anytime.

This irritating, uncomfortable eye condition affects millions of Americans and can develop for numerous reasons. But we offer several strategies to help alleviate your symptoms. Please find out how we can help and book your appointment at Parkland Eye & Vision today.

A Personalized, 1-on-1 Approach

Every eye is different, so we take the time to understand your needs and address your concerns.

During our comprehensive dry eye exam process, we assess your eye comfort and look for potential issues causing your symptoms. In some cases, we may perform a dry eye exam during your routine eye check-up to address potential concerns before they cause discomfort.

We develop a personalized management plan from our discoveries to help relieve your symptoms and get you back to enjoying your eyesight.

What Causes Dry Eye?

Dry eye can develop for many reasons, but each cause can lead to similar symptoms. Before we can help alleviate your symptoms, we recommend visiting us for a dry eye exam so we can determine what’s causing your discomfort.

Some of the most common causes include:

Dry, smoky, or windy air
Allergies
Genetics
Age
Medications
Health conditions
Contact lens wear

Another condition, digital eye strain, can cause dry eye symptoms. Please click here to learn more about digital eye strain.

How We Can Help

We recommend treatments based on your unique circumstances. Depending on your symptoms, we may ask you to visit us for periodic treatments to help maintain your eye comfort.

If you have severe symptoms, we may need to monitor your condition closely to ensure the issue doesn’t lead to other concerns like eye infections or corneal damage.

The following are some of our most common dry eye strategies.

Over-the-Counter or Prescription Eye Drops

Eye drops are among the most common ways to manage dry eyes. However, before you purchase over-the-counter products, please visit our team for an appointment so we can determine which eye drops may be most suitable for your eyes.

Sometimes, we may recommend specialty or prescription eye drops, like products from Systane^Ⓡ, to help alleviate your discomfort.

Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs are small devices we can insert into your tear ducts to help manage how quickly your tears drain from your eyes. This treatment supports a stable tear film to keep your eyes comfortable.

Eyelid Hygiene

Your eyelids are especially important for maintaining eye comfort, but blockages caused by meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis (eyelid inflammation) can lead to numerous uncomfortable symptoms.

To help manage these symptoms, we may recommend eyelid hygiene treatments like scrubs and antibacterial shampoo.

Warm Compresses

If you’re struggling with meibomian gland dysfunction, a warm compress could help loosen and melt blockages in your meibomian glands to support a healthy flow of oils to your tear film.

Lifestyle & Behavior Adjustments

Dry eye also has several external causes that may need to be addressed. Sometimes, making lifestyle and behavior adjustments can alleviate your symptoms. Consider: