Burning, Scratchy, Watery, Itchy Eyes?… Wildwood Vision Specialists Can Help
Dry Eye is one tricky ocular disease. 40% of all Americans suffer from dry eyes, but many patients do not realize it and are suffering through these symptoms. The problem is there is not just one symptom of dry eye – it can affect patients in so many ways.
Here are some of the symptoms you may experience with dry eyes:
- Dry sensation
- Scratchy, gritty feeling
- Burning
- Stinging
- Itching
- Watery eyes
- Redness
- Tired eyes
- Light sensitivity
- Contact lens discomfort
- Soreness
- Eyelids stuck together in morning
- And many more!
In addition, many things can cause the eyes to feel dry and uncomfortable like contact lenses, your work/home environment, medications, surgery, autoimmune disease, and age.
All this boils down to the the tear system just isn’t working to its full potential. The tears are essential for keeping your eyes healthy, your vision clear, and protecting your cornea.
Tears are very complex and not only made out of “water”, in fact our tear film is made up of three different layers. The mucus layer sits closest to the eyes and helps spread the tear film evenly over the eye. Next is the aqueous layer that contains water and nutrients. And the top layer is the lipid layer which helps prevent the tear film from evaporating. Dry eye happens when one or a combination of these layers is lacking, causing damage to the surface of your eyes.
Drs. Hayes and Folwarski have equipped Wildwood Vision Specialists with unique and cutting edge options to help with dry eye sufferers.
The first line of treatment for most practitioner’s for dry eyes is to start the patient on an artificial tears treatment, but most over the counter artificial tears use harsh preservatives that can irritate the eyes further. At Wildwood Vision Specialists we use, Oasis Tears which are a preservative free drop with a unique formulation of glycerin (our body’s natural lubricant) and a highly elastic viscoadaptive agent which helps keep the tears on the surface for longer periods. Oasis Tears interact with the aqueous and lipid layers of the tear film providing prolonged soothing comfort with each blink. Oasis Tears are exclusively sold in doctor’s offices, and Drs. Hayes and Folwarski are excited to share them with their patients.
Also, the three layers of the tears can be deficient due to inadequate chemical composition of the tears. Eye Promise -EZ Tears are an all natural supplement that helps increase healthy tear production, improve the quality of the tears, and helps reduce inflammation that can be caused by dry eye. Eye Promise – EZ Tears features Omega 3’s, convenient dosing (only 2 softgels compared to up to four in other comparable brands), enteric coatings (no fishy burps or after taste!), and lots of vitamins, like Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin E. If you are using artificial tears and still experiencing dry eye symptoms, Eye Promise – EZ tears may be a great option for you, call Wildwood Vision Specialists to ask Drs. Folwarski and Hayes if Eye Promise – EZ tears could be a solution to your dry eye.
As complex as the makeup of our tears so is the ocular disease of Dry Eye. This means that one treatment is not a sure fix for everyone, and sometimes its a combination of many treatments that provides relief from dry eye. Oasis Tears and Eye Promise EZ-tears are just two of the treatments Drs. Hayes and Folwarski have up their sleeves to help with your dry eye. Call Wildwood Vision Specialists today if you are experiencing any symptoms of dry eye!