Dry Eyes - Brooklyn, NY

Welcome to Mega Vision Center, your premier destination for comprehensive eye care services in Brooklyn, NY. Our team of experienced optometrists is dedicated to providing personalized care and innovative solutions for various eye conditions, including dry eyes.

Understanding Dry Eyes

Dry eyes, also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, occur when your eyes do not produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly. This condition can lead to discomfort, irritation, and even vision problems if left untreated. Factors such as age, environmental conditions, medications, and certain medical conditions can contribute to the development of dry eyes.

What is dry eye syndrome?

Dry eyes are a common problem experienced by many people, specifically those who spend long periods of time using computers, or those who work or live in smoky and polluted environments. Dry eye syndrome can also develop in people with lid abnormalities like entropion, where the lid turns inward, or ectropion, where the edge of the lid turns outward. Lid abnormalities make it more difficult for tears to be spread evenly across the surface of the eye. The dry eye condition can also develop in people who don’t produce enough tears or when the tears produced are of poor quality. Some medications can also cause dry eyes when used for a long time, such as extended use of over the counter eye drops. Dry eyes can also develop in people with certain types of autoimmune disorders, such as Sjogren’s syndrome and Graves’ disease.

What kinds of symptoms are caused by dry eyes?

Dry eye syndrome can cause symptoms like:

• scratching, itching or burning
• gritty sensations
• foreign body sensation (the feeling that something is in your eye)
• heightened sensitivity to light
• eye strain or eye fatigue
• significant tearing
• blurry vision that gets worse over the course of the day
• discomfort while wearing contacts

In most cases, dry eye symptoms affect both eyes. In some cases, only one eye may be affected. 

What treatments are available for dry eyes?

Dry eyes can cause significant discomfort if left untreated, and over-the-counter eye drops rarely provide anything beyond temporary relief. For a lasting relief of symptoms, prescription eye drops can help by augmenting your natural tears or reducing inflammation. By targeting the root causes of dry eyes, prescription eye drops provide true solutions. Punctal occlusion or punctal plugs are also an effective way to combat dry eye symptoms.  Plugs(made from collagen) are inserted to partially block the tear drainage system in order to aid in the preservation of natural tears on ocular surface.