Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are a common complaint affecting millions of Americans each year. They usually improve with at-home care, but if your symptoms affect your quality of life, seek treatment right away.  At Vistasite Eye Care of Kings Plaza Mall in the Mill Basin neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, board-certified optometrists Gary Eppel, OD, and Dmitri Bondarenko, OD, specialize in diagnosing and treating dry eyes. Call the office today to schedule an appointment or book your visit online.

When are dry eyes something to worry about?

Everyone experiences dry eyes occasionally, but for some people, the symptoms last for weeks or months, resulting in eye fatigue, eye pain, and blurred vision.

Contact Vistasite Eye Care of Kings Plaza Mall if your dry eyes interfere with your ability to drive or read. Identifying the cause can prevent it from worsening and help you return to your routine. 

Are there different types of dry eye disease?

The Vistasite Eye Care of Kings Plaza Mall team treats several types of dry eye disease, including:

Aqueous deficient dry eye

This type of dry eye occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears for proper lubrication. 

Evaporative dry eye

This type of dry eye causes your tears to evaporate before they can lubricate your eyes. It’s often caused by a problem with the meibomian glands, which secrete an oil needed for tear production.

Mixed dry eye

This type combines aqueous deficiency dry eye and evaporative dry eye. In short, your eyes don’t produce enough tears, and the ones they do evaporate quickly.

How will my optometrist diagnose dry eyes?

Your Vistasite Eye Care of Kings Plaza Mall provider asks about your symptoms and medical history, including how long you’ve had dry eyes if you have any eye allergies, and if you smoke or are exposed to second-hand smoke.

They complete an eye exam, looking for signs of dry eyes and checking for other conditions that cause similar symptoms. They also complete several screens, including:

Slit lamp test

During this test, your provider measures the amount of tears your eyes produce

Tear breakup time test (TBTT)

This test measures how quickly your tears evaporate. Your provider puts dyed eye drops into your eye and assesses how long your tear film remains stable. Specifically, they measure the time between blinking and the first signs of dryness on your cornea. A time shorter than 10 seconds indicates dry eyes. 

How are dry eyes treated?

The Vistasite Eye Care of Kings Plaza Mall team treats dry eyes with a combination of healthy lifestyle changes and medication. They might suggest:

• Avoiding environmental triggers
• Resting your eyes
• Taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement
• Eye ointment
• Prescription or over-the-counter eye drops
• Nasal spray to increase tear production
• Therapeutic contact lenses

Call Vistasite Eye Care of Kings Plaza Mall today to schedule dry eye treatment or book your appointment online.