Help Your Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome



Dry Eye Syndrome is an actual medical diagnosis; keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS). The American Optometric Association lays out very nicely the cause, diagnosis and treatment of this disease. MyDryEyes.com is a good resource for information regarding this as well. If you've ever been at a computer for too long or watched a movie and at the end of it you feel this gritty sensation when you actually close your eyes, you are experiencing what people with Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome experience almost every day. How awful would that be?


Our eyes need lubrication! Tears provide a smooth optical surface, protect the eyes, deliver nutrients and make life more comfortable. Each time we blink we are supplying a fresh coat of tears to the optical surface and giving our eyes the benefits we discussed. Blame it on birthdays, but our eyes get drier over our lifespan. There are so many people living with this deficiency and just thinking it is a way of life, not realize how much better their optical health can be.

Even our environment can contribute to dry eyes. One recent study showed that when we were involved in tasks that require concentration (computers or reading) we blink less, up to half as much in some cases. Even if we consciously blink more, which is very hard to do, our blinks are generally incomplete. This leads to the same syndromes as the naturally occurring dry eye effect. The good news with all this is that there are therapies and drops that can significantly improve or maintain tear health. It is important to have your yearly exam and tell your doctor about your symptoms. Make an appointment with one of ours at 909.861.3737 to find out how we can help. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

8 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR EYES AT THE OFFICE

Everyone seems to be staring at a screen these days, whether their computer, their smartphone or another digital device. The stress it puts on your eyes can cause a condition called "digital eye strain" (DES) or "computer vision syndrome" (CVS) . Symptoms include eye fatigue, dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, red eyes, and eye twitching. How To Protect Your Eyes While You Work Below are a few things you can do to lower your risk or mitigate any discomfort associated with DES. 1. See your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam This is one of the most important things you can do to prevent or treat symptoms associated with computer vision syndrome. During your eye doctor’s appointment, make sure to speak with Dr. Bladh about your working habits, including the frequency and length of time you use a computer and other devices at work and at home. If you get a chance before you come, measure the distance between your eyes and your comp
Read more

ANTI-BACTERIAL ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATING BY VSP

Image
If you've spent time at Dr. Bladh's office, you know what anti-reflective (A/R) coating is and does. Back in the early days of optometry, A/R coating was primarily used to get rid of glare when taking pictures and get a clearer view of the world through your lenses. Both solid reasons to commit to adding this product onto your glasses, but there were some flaws. Typically, the lenses were hard to keep clean and often times the coating would peel after several months so scientists went back to the lab and developed newer technology to combat those problems. After perfecting the anti-reflective product, laboratories started to add other benefits to the coating (insert blue-light filters). The most recent advancement has come with the recent COVID-19 pandemic as a way to defend your eyes from harmful blue light rays as well as BACTERIA! Yes you read that correctly; the new blue-light A/R coating has been ISO-certified as anti-bacterial technology. Sound like a gimm
Read more

VSP EXTENDS PRIMARY EYECARE BENEFIT TO VSP MEMBERS

Image
Vision Service Plan (VSP) members already have the backing of one of the strongest vision insurance companies in the United States. There are several plans that VSP offers, but one that gets unnoticed the most is their Primary EyeCare plan. This plan allows patients to visit one of the participating VSP doctors for acute and sometimes chronic diagnosis. Think pinkeye, infections, foreign body removal , etc. Instead of waiting for hours at urgent care or the ER to visit someone who might see an eye problem twice in the month, you can instead visit Dr. Bladh, who sees almost 2 eye problems per day. Not only is the experience alone worth the PEC plan, the time you wait to see Dr. Bladh is less than half the time you would wait to see an inexperienced doc at urgent care!  The only problem with the PEC plan under VSPs umbrella of options is the fact that most employers opt out of these services and figure you can go see your primary care physician instead. Well, with the recen
Read more