Dry Eye Disease
Dry Eye Disease is a complex and chronic disease with multiple causes and tends to develop gradually over years. Often Dry Eye Disease goes undiagnosed, or untreated, until a patient's symptoms start to interfere with their ability to work on screens or wear contacts. By that time irreversible damage may have already occurred. The most common symptoms for dry eye disease include, burning or stinging eyes, sandy or gritty eyes, tired eyes, filmy vision, and light sensitivity.
Early Diagnosis is Critical
Symptoms for dry eye disease begin very gradually. By the time patients can feel a problems the disease has already been progressing for years. Early detection helps to prevent irreversible damage to structures critical to healthy tear productions. At Smoky Hill Eye Care with have the technology to be able to catch early damage from dry eye disease. We screen our patients at their yearly eye exam.
Dry Eyes Can Be Managed
Once the underlying cause of dry eye disease has been identified there are many treatment options available to help improve, and control the condition. Depending on the severity and underlying cause treatment plans can vary from at home maintenance, use of prescription medications, and in office procedures.
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The treatment options we utilize at Smoky Hill Eye Care can range from at home therapies to in office treatments like Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Thermal Pulsation (Lipiflow). All of these treatment are important parts of managing the inflammation and commonly present in dry eye disease and helping to restore the eye's ability to produce a healthy tear layer.