Dry Eye Center
If you are experiencing dry eye syndrome in Kyle or Austin, Texas, the Dry Eye team at Westlake Eye Specialists is dedicated to serving patients’ specific needs in treating dry eye. Dry eye, or keratitis sicca/ keratoconjunctivitis sicca, related discomfort is one of the most frequent afflictions brought to eye doctors from their patients.
Treatment options for dry eye syndrome include artificial tears, which provide temporary relief from dry eye syndrome, and punctal occlusion. Punctal occlusion, or punctal plugs, involves the insertion of a small medical device that blocks the puncta of the eye. This prevents the tears that are naturally produced by the eye to either partially or completely be blocked from draining from the eye.
Symptoms of dry eye can deviate from the below list, however, patients that suffer from dry eyes usually experience a number of the following:
- Burning sensation
- Sandy/gritty sensation
- Foreign body sensation
- Dryness
- Redness
- Scratchiness
- Blurred Vision
Dry eye syndrome is caused by insufficient and/or poor-quality tears. There are three main components to human tears: the aqueous layer of the tear film is produced by the lacrimal gland, the oily component by the meibomian glands, and the third component, the goblet cells, keeps all of the components mixed together. When one of these three parts become unbalanced, dry eye syndrome can occur. There are numerous reasons as to why these glands may not be doing their part.
Dr. Vendal in the San Marcos Daily Record
Though dry eye syndrome can be caused in a variety of ways, inflammation of the lacrimal gland is the most common cause of insufficient tear volume. Meibomian gland dysfunction caused by inflammation is a frequent cause of poor tear quality. Medications and hormonal changes can also cause ocular dryness.
Request A
Consultation
To request a consultation with Westlake Eye Specialists, please click link below.
