Eye Comfort is Essential to Our Quality of Life

We all rely on comfortable vision to enjoy life. However, dry eye symptoms can make it difficult to enjoy or even use our sight. Some may only experience dry eye for short periods, but many people live with these symptoms every day.

Our team is here to help you find meaningful dry eye relief strategies. We offer a variety of medically focused treatments and technologies that get to the root cause of your eye discomfort and alleviate chronic dry eye symptoms that may affect your quality of life.

It’s time to take control of your eye comfort. Please book your next dry eye treatment appointment with Dr. McCurdy and his eye care team in Novato today!

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What Is Dry Eye?

Dry eye is an irritating, uncomfortable eye condition that affects millions of Americans. Dry eye affects a part of the eye known as the tear film, which depends on different layers to keep the eye comfortable and hydrated.

These layers include:

The mucus layer, which fastens the tear film to the eye.
The water layer, which helps keep the eye hydrated.
The oil layer, which helps prevent the tear film from evaporating.

If one of these layers is compromised, you’ll likely develop dry eye symptoms. Our team can determine what’s causing your symptoms and provide solutions unique to your needs.

Dry Eye Causes

One of the most common causes of dry eye is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). MGD affects your meibomian glands, which produce the oils that prevent the tear film from evaporating.

However, you may experience symptoms for several different reasons, including:

Aging
Allergies
Poorly fitted contact lenses
Certain medications with dry eye side effects
Medical conditions including, but not limited to:
Laser eye surgery side effects (particularly during the healing process)
Eye conditions like blepharitis

Dry Eye Symptoms

No matter the cause, your dry eye symptoms will ultimately be irritating and uncomfortable. However, you may notice some distinct issues that you will need our help to address, like:

Light sensitivity
Blurry vision
Contact lens discomfort
Redness
Watery eyes
Burning
Stinging
Grittiness

Finding Relief

The 2 types of dry eye are evaporative dry eye and aqueous tear deficiency.

Evaporative dry eye occurs when your tear film evaporates too quickly to maintain your eye comfort. You may develop evaporative dry eye if your meibomian glands can’t produce enough oil to seal your tear film.
Aqueous tear deficiency develops when your eye’s lacrimal glands don’t produce enough water content to keep your eyes hydrated.

Our mission is to personalize your treatment plan based on what is causing your symptoms. We can manage both forms of dry eye with the help of health-focused strategies that we can discuss when you visit us for a dry eye appointment.

Eye Drops

Eye drops are a common strategy used to help reinforce the tear film and provide relief.

Please speak to our team before purchasing any over-the-counter products. We can help determine which products may be most suitable for your eyes.

Lifestyle Changes

In some cases, the most effective solution is also the most obvious.

Making some small lifestyle changes could help you manage an array of dry eye symptoms. Some of these changes may include:

Using a humidifier
Taking regular breaks from visually-demanding tasks
Avoiding wind and fans
Adjusting office ergonomics
Quitting smoking

Dietary Changes

Some studies have shown that adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet could help stimulate oil production from your meibomian glands. Over time, these nutrients could help you manage dry eye symptoms.

Comfort is Only A Call Away

We’re just getting started. Contact our team today to learn more about the various dry eye treatments and strategies we offer. With our knowledgeable team by your side, you can find the eye comfort you deserve.

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