Dry Eye Treatment

Find Relief for Gritty, Irritated Eyes

If you’re experiencing uncomfortable or irritated eyes, you may be suffering from dry eye disease. This is a common, chronic condition that impacts around 6 million Canadians. Although it’s common, it can still decrease your quality of life and affect your productivity.

At East London Optometry, we’re committed to finding treatments that soothe your symptoms and allow you to focus on your work, family, and community, rather than your scratchy eyes.

If you’re experiencing uncomfortable eyes, don’t suffer in silence. Book your appointment today to experience relief.

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What is Dry Eye Disease?

Dry eye disease is a group of conditions that impact your tears. A healthy tear film protects the surface of your eye and keeps it moist and hydrated.

The tear film includes 3 layers: mucin (mucus), aqueous (water), and lipid (oil). If any of these layers is affected, your eyes may experience symptoms.

The causes of dry eye include:

Evaporative dry eye: When tears evaporate too quickly.
Aqueous-deficient dry eye: When your eyes don’t produce enough tears.
Meibomian gland dysfunction: When the oil-producing glands aren’t healthy and functioning properly.
Inflammatory dry eye: When inflammation impacts your tear production or glands.

Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease

As dry eye can be caused by many different factors, it also includes a variety of symptoms. Some common indicators of dry eye include:

Redness or irritation
Stinging or burning
A gritty or sandy feeling
Increased light sensitivity
Blurred vision
Watery eyes

Although it may seem counterintuitive, watery eyes can also be a symptom of dry eye. This excessive tearing is caused by the eye’s natural reflex to compensate for symptoms.

While allergies and weather can cause similar symptoms, it’s important to differentiate between causes. That’s why we’ll provide diagnostic testing during your appointment to confirm the cause of your dry eye and tackle the problem directly. We can provide support with different causes of eye irritation.

Our Approach to Dry Eye

At East London Optometry, we want to find long-lasting relief for your symptoms. During your dry eye assessment, your optometrist will check your tear film and test its break-up time. This will show if your tears are evaporating too quickly.

Once we’ve determined if you’re struggling with evaporative, aqueous-deficient, or inflammatory dry eye, we’ll recommend a treatment plan. We may prescribe specialty eye drops that target the root cause of your dry eye symptoms. These are a more effective option than over-the-counter eye drops, which temporarily offer relief, but don’t improve your symptoms over time.

We may recommend other treatment methods as well, such as eyelid cleansing sprays, which can remove debris and reduce irritation, and eye masks, which gently heat your eyes and improve tear flow, reduce inflammation, and relax tired eyes.

Soothe Your Dry Eyes Today

Don’t push through days with irritated, scratchy, uncomfortable eyes. Relief is waiting for you at East London Optometry. Book your appointment today and let our experienced optometrists find you relief.

Request Appointment