What Is Dry Eye?

Dry eye is a common condition that impacts millions. While you may think it only involves having dry eyes, you could also have excess tear production.

If dry eye negatively impacts your life, Nova Vision Center has your solution! Contact us today for dependable dry eye treatment in Falls Church, VA.

In this post, we’ll talk more about dry eye, including common symptoms, risk factors, and more.

Dry Eye: Brief Overview

Dry eye is a common condition that involves problems with the tear film that covers your eye. While normal eyes create an adequate amount of tears, those with this condition don’t produce enough of them—or they produce too much. That said, you can experience excessive dryness, watery eyes, itching, burning, and irritation.

Dry eye is something that doesn’t always have a clear cause. There are numerous risk factors and possible causes to consider. It may take several weeks or longer to determine the root cause of the condition.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

Take a look at the symptoms you can expect with dry eye:

• Feeling like something is in your eye
• Dryness
• Burning sensations
• Stinging
• Light sensitivity
• Itching
• Changes in vision
• Excessive tear production
• Mucus that leaks from your eye

Watery eyes may sound like a strange symptom of dry eye, but it occurs because there’s a problem with your meibomian glands. These glands are unable to produce enough oils for the outer layer of your tear film. This causes the middle, watery layer of your tear film to dry out too fast. As a result, your lacrimal glands overcompensate for this and make more tears, leading to watery eyes.

Dry Eye Risk Factors

The following can increase the chance of experiencing dry eye:

• Weather
• Screen time
• Contact lens use
• Smoking
• Allergies
• Certain medications
• Some medical conditions
• Eye surgery

To get the dry eye treatment you need, call Nova Vision Center today. We’ll get you scheduled with the leading eye doctor in Falls Church, VA!