Master Eye Associates

103 Yale St, Ste 100B

Houston, TX 77007 USA

(713) 880-3872

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • New Patient Center
    • Online Forms
    • Virtual Office Tour
  • Eyecare Services
    • Dry Eyes
    • Eye & Vision Exams
    • Contact Lens Exams
    • Lasik Eye Surgery
    • Eye Surgery
      • Eye Surgery Co-Management
    • Hard to Fit Contacts
    • Computer Vision
  • Conditions Treated
    • Glaucoma
  • Frame Selection
  • Payments Options & Insurance
  • About Us
    • Meet The Optometrist
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Community Content
    • Common Eye Conditions
      • Age-Related
      • Eye Lids
      • Cognitive and Acquired
      • Vision Impairment
      • Injury & Irritation
      • Changes in Appearance
    • Contact Lenses
    • Eye Diseases
    • Eyeglasses
      • Eyeglass Lenses
    • Eye Symptoms
    • How the Eyes Work
      • Basic Visual Skills
    • Pediatric Vision
    • Protecting Your Eyes
    • Visual Rehabilitation
    • Vision Problems
    • What is Vision Therapy
    • Vision Therapy Programs
    • We Can Help With
      • Cataracts
      • Corneal Disorders
        • Disorders
      • Glaucoma
      • Refractive Disorders
      • Adult Strabismus
      • Retinal Disorders
    • Newsletters
      • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
      • Medical Perspectives
      • Kid's Vision
      • Conditions That Affect Vision
      • Tips for Healthy Eyes
      • Contacts
      • Glasses & Frames
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Newsletters >
  • Conditions That Affect Vision >
  • What You Need to Know About Dry Eye

What You Need to Know About Dry Eye

  • Created in Newsletters, Conditions That Affect Vision
Image of the desert.

If you have never suffered from dry eye, you might not appreciate how important your tears are to your eye health. Without enough moisture, your eyes can become dry, itchy, red and uncomfortable. Dry eye occurs when you do not make enough tears or the tears you produce are not high quality.

The Importance of Tears

Although you might not realize it, your eyes constantly produce tears. Tears are needed to keep the front of your eyes moist and comfortable. They help remove tiny specks of debris or dust from the eyes. When something falls into your eye, tear production increases, in an attempt to wash away the foreign object.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye symptoms include:

  • A feeling that there is a foreign object in your eyes
  • Gritty or sandy feeling in the eyes
  • Burning and stinging
  • Itching
  • Eye fatigue
  • Blurred vision
  • Pain and redness
  • Difficulty reading or working on a computer for long periods of time
  • Stringy discharge
  • Discomfort when wearing contact lenses
  • Inability to cry

Who Gets Dry Eye?

Dry eye can occur at any age; although it is most common in people over the age of 65. Hormonal changes in women during pregnancy and menopause can increase the risk of dry eye, as can the use of hormonal birth control methods, such as birth control pills.

No matter what your age, you may experience dry eye if you are exposed to wind, dry conditions or smoke, or have allergies. Some types of medications can affect tear production, including antidepressants, tranquilizers, hormone replacement medications, antihistamines, blood pressure medication and decongestants. If you have thyroid disease, diabetes, chronic conjunctivitis, lupus, Sjogren's syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis, you may be more likely to develop the condition.

Dry eye can also be a problem if you have worn contact lenses for many years or have had LASIK surgery to improve your vision. In some cases, LASIK can decrease tear production. Failure to blink regularly, which can occur when you stare at a computer monitor for a long time, can also trigger the problem.

Treatment Options

Optometrists can offer several strategies and treatment options that will help your eyes feel more comfortable, including:

  • The use of artificial tears for added moisture
  • Changing a medication if dry eye is a side effect
  • Treating underlying diseases and conditions that cause dry eye
  • Plugging the drainage holes in your eyes to prevent tears from draining too quickly
  • Changing the type of contact lenses you wear
  • Recommending that you use an air purifier to remove allergens from the air
  • Prescribing cyclosporine, an anti-inflammatory medicine that increases tear production

If you have a severe case of dry eye, your eye doctor may suggest punctal cautery, a minor surgical procedure that permanently plugs the drainage holes in your eyes.

Keep your eyes healthy with regular eye examinations. Is it about time for your next exam? If so, call us today to set up an appointment!

  • Common Eye Conditions
    • Age-Related
    • Eye Lids
    • Cognitive and Acquired
    • Vision Impairment
    • Injury & Irritation
    • Changes in Appearance
  • Contact Lenses
  • Eye Diseases
  • Eyeglasses
    • Eyeglass Lenses
  • Eye Symptoms
  • How the Eyes Work
    • Basic Visual Skills
  • Pediatric Vision
  • Protecting Your Eyes
  • Visual Rehabilitation
  • Vision Problems
  • What is Vision Therapy
  • Vision Therapy Programs
  • We Can Help With
    • Cataracts
    • Corneal Disorders
      • Disorders
    • Glaucoma
    • Refractive Disorders
    • Adult Strabismus
    • Retinal Disorders
  • Newsletters
    • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
    • Medical Perspectives
    • Kid's Vision
    • Conditions That Affect Vision
    • Tips for Healthy Eyes
    • Contacts
    • Glasses & Frames

Sign up using the form below or call us at 713-880-3872.

Featured Links

Click to find out more

  • Services

    We strive to provide complete care for our patients/ learn more about all the services we provide.

  • Make An Appointment

    We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule. Schedule an appointment today!

  • Online Forms

    At Master Eye Associates, we value your time. In an effort to save you time in our office, you can download and complete our patient form(s) prior to your appointment.

Monday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Saturday:

10:00 am-5:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Location

Find us on the map

Testimonials

Reviews From Our Satisfied Patients

    We use Anderson Optometry for all of our family’s vision needs. Recently, we had to have our youngest fitted for new glasses and he made the experience fun for her and informative for us. We know Dr. Anderson will always take good care of our family’s eye care and that’s why we wouldn’t go to anywhere else.

    The Harrison Family

    Dr. Anderson and his staff are so patient and friendly. Dr. Anderson prescribed me glasses and I had the toughest time picking out frames. They didn’t rush, but instead made helpful suggestions and now I have an awesome pair of frames, not to mention the fact that I can see ten times better than before. You guys are the best!

    Shelly

    I’ve been going to Dr. Anderson for over five years now and even though I only see him once a year for my annual exam, he and his staff always make me feel very welcome and take care of all my eye care needs. Anderson Optometry is the best at what they do and make you feel right at home.

    Anthony

Featured Articles

Read up on informative topics

  • Vision Loss and Mental Health

    Feeling depressed after vision loss? ...

    Read More
  • Treatment Options for Presbyopia

    Over 40 and finding it hard to see close-up? One of these presbyopia treatment options could improve your vision. ...

    Read More
  • Summertime Allergies and Your Eyes

    Do you know how to treat your summertime eye allergy symptoms? ...

    Read More
  • Signs You May Have Macular Degeneration

    Could changes in your central vision be caused by macular degeneration? ...

    Read More
  • Glaucoma and You: The Importance of Eye Exams

    Want to avoid vision loss due to glaucoma? Schedule a visit with the eye doctor. ...

    Read More
  • Important Healthy Eye Habits for Kids

    Want to keep your kids' eyes as healthy as possible? Try these tips. ...

    Read More
  • Healthy Vision Month

    Get ready for Healthy Vision Month by upgrading your vision habits. ...

    Read More
  • Presbyopia eye drops

    Would you like to stop squinting when you look at close objects? A new kind of eyedrops can improve presbyopia, an age-related vision problem. ...

    Read More
  • Dry Eye

    Sometimes your eyes don’t make enough tears or the tears evaporate too fast because they don’t have the right amount of compounds in them. This is called dry eye. Up to 5% of Americans complain of some form of dry eye. Individuals who wear contact lenses or have undergone LASIK or other types of ...

    Read More
  • Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

    Similar to a bruise under the skin, a subconjunctival hemorrhage happens when a small blood vessel located between the sclera (white portion of an eye) and the conjunctiva (lining on the surface of an eye) breaks and covers the sclera with blood. Unlike broken blood vessels located under the skin which ...

    Read More

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Sign up for more articles

Follow Us

  • Copyright © 2022 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map