No More Dry Eyes

Most people are familiar with that awful dry eye feeling. Dry eye syndrome has many underlying causes and can have just as many symptoms. We design our treatment strategies to tackle the root cause of your dry eyes, we don’t just mask the symptoms.

That’s why Simcoe Optometric offers a variety of therapies for dry eye needs. Schedule an eye exam if you’re tired of living with dry eyes; our optometrists will find solutions that fit your lifestyle.

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But What Exactly is Dry Eye?

Dry eye disease is one of the most common eye afflictions today. When your eyes don’t get enough hydration, it can cause itchiness, redness, and general eye discomfort.

Most people have experienced dry eyes before, perhaps when staying in an air-conditioned room or staring at their computer for hours at a time. When intermittent vision symptoms become frequent irritations, it could mean you have developed chronic dry eye and that action is necessary.

Why Your Tears Matter

Dry eye syndrome takes place when your eyes can’t produce enough tears to lubricate themselves. They’re draining faster than you can produce them, or maybe the tear film isn’t balanced, causing evaporation. Each of these problems has an underlying cause that needs to be addressed separately.

Not Enough Tear Production

Your eyes need a lot of hydration. If you’re not producing enough tears, your eyes become red and irritated. We offer a range of medical grade eye drops, ointments, gels, dietary supplements, and lid care products to treat this issue, as over-the-counter eye drops may not be enough to treat dry eye syndrome. Prescription eye drops may be an adjunct therapy if medical grade drops and therapies are not managing the dry eye symptoms. So visit us in Simcoe for a comprehensive eye exam, where we will find the product that works best for you.

Too Much Drainage

Another problem that affects eye hydration is excessive drainage of your tears. The punctum is a small opening at the lateral margins of your eyelids that drains excess tears. But if they drain too much, it can harm your eyes.

A potential solution to correcting your dry eye is plugging these small orifices. This is usually done when prescription eye drops are not enough to medicate your eyes. We offer this solution, called punctal plugs, at Simcoe Optometric. Come see us for a thorough eye examination so we can assess your dry eye situation and see if punctal plugs are a solution for you.

Evaporative Dry Eye (EDE)

This is a very common form of dry eye syndrome. When the lipid layer of your tears is insufficient it can lead to tears evaporating too quickly, leaving your eyes feeling very dry and inflamed. This oily lipid layer is formed by the meibomian gland.

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) prevents the right amount of oil being released into the tear film. This condition occurs frequently in dry eye cases but can sometimes be remedied with the right treatments. Our optometrists will discuss solutions with you if MGD is a factor in your life.

The Tear’s Layers

Oily Layer

This is the lipid layer that prevents the tear from evaporating quickly. The oils cover the exposed portion of the tear and keep the eye surface smooth.

Aqueous Layer

The middle layer is made of water, keeping the eye wet and providing nutrients to eye surface tissue.

Mucus Layer

The inner mucus layer keeps the tear sticking, by adhering to the eye’s surface.

Balancing Your Tears

Staying Lubricated

Hydrating your ocular system is not enough. Your eyes require a delicate balance of hydration and lubrication. If there’s not enough lubrication to facilitate your blinking, it will lead to discomfort. When you’re blinking upwards of 10,000 times a day, that discomfort soon becomes too much to handle.This lack of lubrication can happen for various reasons, like meibomian (oil) glands not working properly. This can damage your eyelids or eyelashes.

Blepharitis

One of the causes of dry eye is blepharitis, commonly caused by a mite called Demodex. This mite is helpful in small quantities because it eats dead cellular tissue. But when there’s an infestation, they can cause serious damage. If our exam finds an excessive population of mites, we can start therapy right away. We offer in-office Demodex treatments to help relieve your dry eye. Our dry eye therapies are catered to your individual needs.

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Treatment

Although many forms of dry eye cannot be cured, appropriate management will allow you to control your dry eye symptoms and improve your ocular comfort. Our optometrists take the time to address your dry eye symptoms and concerns. Your optometrist will conduct a thorough history that includes a review of your systemic health, medications, lifestyle and environmental factors that may be contributing to your symptoms. A comprehensive in-office dry eye assessment will allow your optometrist to develop a dry eye treatment and management plan that will work for your individual needs. We are dedicated to improving your quality of life by ensuring your eyes are as comfortable as possible!

Our Location

You can find our practice in the Malo Professional Building on Colborne Street North. We offer plenty of parking behind our building with accessibility-friendly options available.