Dry, Scratchy Eyes? You might have Dry Eye Syndrome…
Have you ever experienced dry, burning, irritable eyes? If you're like most people, the answer is most certainly yes. What you might not know is that the dry eye sensation actually comes from something scratching the eye.
"Tears are an essential component of good eye health," Dr. David Christensen said. "They serve a variety of purposes: lubricating the eye, washing away allergens and protecting it against infection. When someone has Dry Eye Syndrome, one of two things happen. Either too few tears are produced or the quality of the tears is so poor that they don't function properly on the eye. This can lead to tears actually running down the cheeks of sufferers of Dry Eye Syndrome."
Tear production decreases for all of us as we get older, but unfortunately, women are three times as likely to have Dry Eye Syndrome than men. Things like antihistamines, hormone therapy, blood pressure medicines, birth control pills, and anti-depressants can increase the incidence of Dry Eye Syndrome. And for some three million American women, Dry Eye Syndrome is a chronic condition.
If you suffer from Dry Eye Syndrome, there are several treatments that can help.
If you are one of millions of Americans who suffer from dry eyes, contact Iowa EyeCare today to find out what we can do to help. We have locations in Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Robins, Iowa.