Dry Eye

 Whether you are studying, curling up with a book, going to a movie, or driving, a bothersome scratchy feeling in your eyes can inhibit you from enjoying the little things. Dry eyes happen to many people, and the discomfort causes problems at work, play, and any time in between. Wilkins’ Opticians is your optometry center in Spartanburg. We provide dry eye treatment to soothe aching, burning eyes by addressing the root cause. Schedule an exam with Dr. Kamer and protect your eyes and vision with proactive care at our professional and friendly optometry office.

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How Tears Work

In general, tears provide the eye with continual moisture, but this is a simplistic summary. In reality, three different types of tears nourish the eye in different ways. The tears that spring to our eyes when we become sad or overwrought are emotional tears, triggered by hormones near the eyes once the brain registers our feelings. The second type of tears is called reflex tears. They act as a defense against outside debris. They form in response to the nerves in the cornea when they sense dust or sand in the air, windy weather, or an object stuck in the eye. The everyday tears that spread a layer of moisture over our eyes by our natural impulse to blink periodically are called basal tears.

Tears require more than just water for their chemical makeup. The conjunctiva, or the moist outer layer of the eye, provides mucus from its cells that form the center of a tear. Tears also need liquid from the lacrimal glands near the corner of the eye and fatty oils from the meibomian glands. These components mix in perfect balance to make the tears able to spread across the eyes and drain away when necessary. The tears need to be oily enough to hold in the lubrication and remain in the eye without evaporating quickly.

Dry Eye Treatment

Dry eyes can result when your eyes do not produce enough tears, or when the proportions of the tear components are off-balance. Without enough of the oily texture from the fatty lipids, the tears can evaporate too quickly and fail to properly lubricate the eye. Whatever the cause, a lack of moisture leads to wear and tear on the protective layer of moisture that tears form over the eye. Thin and unprotected spots can develop in this layer.

You will start to feel itching, eye fatigue, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, a gritty feeling, and sometimes more discharge than usual. Proper dry eye treatment starts with an accurate diagnosis from an optician. Depending on what is going on with your eyes, Dr. Kamer will recommend medication and a few helpful tips on daily practices to help your eyes with this condition.

Get Dry Eye Treatment in Spartanburg, SC

If you live in or around Spartanburg and are experiencing dry eye symptoms, call Wilkins' Opticians today at (864)-585-2249 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kamer.