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Dry Eye

Dry Eye Treatment and Prevention With Our Optometry Team

For someone that has never experienced dry eye syndrome, the condition might seem like something that just happens from time to time. However, dry eye syndrome is actually more complex than that. If you are experiencing symptoms of dry eye and live in Kansas and Missouri, our doctors of optometry at one of the ten locations at Epic Vision Eye Centers are able to help.

dry eye

What Is Dry Eye?

While a dry environment can make things extra difficult for a person with the condition, it is more about what is going on inside the person's eyes or rather what isn't happening. People with dry eye syndrome are unable to make quality tears. Therefore, their eyes are not lubricated properly and become malnourished. This can impede that person's ability to see clearly.

How Tears Should Work and What Happens When They Don't

When a person blinks, it is the job of the tears to lubricate the corneas and stave off potential eye infections by keeping away foreign matter. When there are too many tears, the excess goes back into the nose. With dry eyes, this balance is compromised and usually, one of two problems occur

  • There are not enough tears - Common in dry climates
  • Tears are poor quality - They do not contain the right proportions of their three components, oil, water, and mucus. It is more common to have poor quality of tears than for tears to just dry out.

How Dry Eye Syndrome Feels and Why it Happens

People with dry eye have eyes that may feel itchy or have a burning feeling to them. They may also experience excess watering of their eyes or their vision may become blurry. The condition is most common in those over 65 and because of hormonal changes that happen with pregnancy, contraceptives, and menopause, women are more susceptible than men. In addition, conditions involving the thyroid, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis can also contribute to dry eye.

For some outward factors, such as environmental conditions, medications, and being a person who has worn contacts for a long period of time or had refractive eye surgery, including LASIK, may be at a higher risk of the condition as well.

Diagnosing and Treating Dry Eye

While you might have a sense that you are experiencing dry eye syndrome, in order to know for sure, you should undergo a comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist. At Epic Vision Eye Centers, you'll see a qualified optometrist that is highly in tune with this condition and can help you determine your best course of treatment. Whether the treatment is done through artificial tear eye drops, surgery that helps conserve tears, taking recommended supplements, or some other option.

Epic Eye Vision Centers have 10 different locations throughout Kansas and Missouri, with our main office located in Smithville, MO. To learn how to schedule an appointment, contact our main office in Smithville, MO at 888-749-7755 or view a full listing of our locations at our website.

Corporate Office
8305 Melrose Dr
Lenexa, KS 66214

Billing | (816) 207-0055
Fax | (913) 340-9880
Accounts Payable | (816) 256-4092

[email protected]

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