Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome is characterized by itching, burning, gritty, red eyes. There are many causes for Dry Eye and, consequently there are many treatments.

Your tears serve many important functions. They wash out debris, keep your eyes moist and have special enzymes that neutralize microorganisms that colonize your eyes. Tears are made up of three layers, the lipid, aqueous and mucus layers. The lipid layer is the outer oily section, the aqueous layer is the watery middle part, and the mucus layer is the inner section closest to your cornea. The layers are produced by different glands in your eyelid and a problem with any of them can cause dry eye syndrome. If left untreated, dry eye can cause tissue damage and scarring of the cornea, leading to major vision problems.

There are many factors that can cause dry eyes. Age, certain medications, insufficient blinking, chemical composition of tears and environmental factors like sunlight, wind, dust and smoke. Dry Eye is also the number one complaint of people who wear contact lenses. With all of these potential causes there are also a variety of ways to treat dry eyes.

Artificial tears drops can help simulate tears in your eyes, reducing redness and clearing vision. Wearing sunglasses, cleaning furnace and air conditioning filters, avoiding smoke and using a humidifier can also help you reduce dryness. If you are having problems with a medication or if you wear contact lenses and are experiencing dry eyes, consult with your eye care provider to explore other options.

Because of the wide array of causes and solutions for dry eye, make sure to visit with your eye care provider to determine the best solution for you.

Fall brings a lot of fun, with Halloween bringing loads of it.

But did you know that some Halloween practices could harm your vision? Take Halloween contacts for instance. They are wildly fun with everything to monster eyes, goblin eyes, cat eyes, sci-fi or a glamour look. If properly fit by an eye care professional, they can be just the added touch you need for that perfect costume. However, some people do not realize that the FDA classifies contact lenses as a medical device that can alter cells of the eye and that damage can occur if they are not fit properly.

Infection, redness, corneal ulcers, hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the eye) and permanent blindness can occur if the proper fit is not ensured. Another concern that ICE, FTC, and FDA have are the illegal black market contacts that come into the country unchecked. Proper safety regulations are strictly adhered to by conventional contact lens companies to insure that the contact lenses are sterile and packaged properly and accurately.

Health concerns arise whenever black market, unregulated contacts come into the US market and are sold at flea markets, thrift shops, beauty shops, malls, convenient stores and the likes. These are sold without a prescribers prescription, and are illegal in the US. Buyer beware because these are the contacts that cause concern, after all, you don’t want to bargain shop on parachutes OR your eyes! There have also been reports of damage to eyes because Halloween Spook houses ask employees to share between shifts the same pair of Halloween contact lenses as they dress up for their costume.

So the take home message is, have a great time at Halloween, and enjoy the flare that decorative contacts can bring to your costume, but get them from a reputable venue and be fit by a eye care professional with a proper legal prescription. 

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