If you are suffering with Chronic Dry Eyes, talk with your primary ophthalmologist or make an appointment with our
Dry Eye Specialist, Nicole Legare, MD, at Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons to see if you are a candidate for Autologous Serum Eye Drops.
Dry Eye Help
What is Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye disease is a common condition that occurs when your tears aren't able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. Tears can be inadequate and unstable for many reasons. For example, dry eyes may occur if you don't produce enough tears or if you produce poor-quality tears. This tear instability leads to inflammation and damage of the eye's surface.
Causes of Dry Eye Disease
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Dry eye results from a variety of causes, but aging is the single highest factor. As people age, the production of tears decreases. Although it occurs in women and men, post-menopausal women are most affected.
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DED is a multifactorial process where we see tear film instability, ocular surface inflammation, and damage which can lead to a variety of symptoms. The symptoms range from no symptoms at all, to mild surface irritation or foreign body sensation, to severe eye pain with blurred vision and/or ocular surface scarring. Dry eye symptoms include a dry, gritty or burning sensation in the eyes, redness, watery or teary eyes and mucus that make the eyes feel "glued shut" after sleeping. Many people also report the feeling of something in the eye or eyestrain. Itching and light sensitivity may also occur. Symptoms are usually worse late in the day.
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Very often, dry eye can be diagnosed based on symptoms. Ophthalmologists also use a variety of tests including measuring tear production, special dyes, and evaluation of the constitution of the tear film in order to confirm the diagnosis. These tests serve to rule out other potential problems, such as conjunctivitis or allergies, that can produce the same symptoms.
Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease
Diagnosis of Dry Eye Disease
Is Dry Eye Disease Common?
Ocular Surface Disease (OSD) is when the ocular surface, namely the cornea and/or conjunctiva, gets damaged. This can occur due to a variety of reasons, but the most common cause is Dry Eye Disease (DED). DED is a condition that affects between 16 and 49 million Americans. This number likely vastly underestimates the actual number of patients who are affected by symptoms of DED given that patients between the ages of 25-50 years old are unlikely to see an eye doctor if they have no visual complaints.
How to Treat Dry Eye Disease
With the range of symptoms comes a range in the treatment for DED. The simplest way to treat DED is using over the counter artificial tears, however, for most patients this does not completely treat the root cause of the dryness/inflammation and prescription treatment is required. The only way to know what the best treatment is for your dry eye symptoms is to see an ophthalmologist to determine the root cause of your symptoms.
One of the treatments that is utilized for dry eye patients is autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs). ASEDs include not only lubricating factors to treat dry eye but also include the patient’s own natural growth factors, vitamins A and E, among other components of healthy tears, which together improves cell growth and inhibits cell death on the surface of the eye. These specially crafted drops are made from the patient’s own natural blood serum, making them the perfect solution for dry eye, corneal abrasions, and ocular surface disorders.
How Do I Get Help for My Dry Eyes?
The first step would be to make an appointment with Dry Eye Specialist, Nicole Legare, MD, at Mt. Pleasant Eye Surgeons to see if you are a candidate for Autologous Serum Eye Drops.
