If you find yourself dreading the arrival of spring or fall due to the onset of seasonal allergies, you are in good company. Sneezing, congestion, and itchy eyes can be a significant inconvenience. Seasonal allergies can also exacerbate dry eye symptoms, making your eyes feel even more uncomfortable. At Berks Eye, we understand the negative impact that seasonal allergies can have on your eye health, and our dedicated team of specialists is committed to helping you combat dry eye symptoms so that your eyes stay comfortable.

The Link Between Seasonal Allergies and Dry Eye Symptoms

When your body comes into contact with allergens, it triggers an inflammatory response. This response can affect the delicate tear film that covers the surface of your eyes, leading to increased evaporation of tears and exacerbating dry eye symptoms.

Understanding Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes are unable to produce an adequate quantity or quality of tears to keep the eyes properly lubricated. This can result in symptoms such as:

• Persistent dryness
• Grittiness or a feeling of foreign body in the eye
• Burning or stinging sensation
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light

Addressing Your Dry Eye Symptoms at Berks Eye

At Berks Eye, our experienced team of doctors is dedicated to helping you find relief from dry eye symptoms, especially when exacerbated by seasonal allergies. We offer comprehensive evaluations to assess the underlying causes of your dry eye and develop personalized treatment plans to address your needs.

Our range of treatment options may include artificial tears, ointment, prescription eye drops, and eyelid scrubs — all of which help nourish and moisturize the eye. You may also be recommended nutritional supplements. In addition, our practice offers punctal occlusion as well as meibomian gland expression treatments to help with the flow of tears. LipiFlow® is also available at our practice, which is an automated, in-office dry eye treatment that combines warmth and pulsated pressure to open and express clogged meibomian glands, providing relief to dry eye syndrome.

Certain lifestyle changes, such as limiting your exposure to allergies, reducing screentime throughout the day, and taking frequent breaks to rest the eyes, can all improve dry eye symptoms.

Improve Dry Eye Symptoms in Wyomissing

At Berks Eye, we understand the impact that seasonal allergies can have on your eye health, especially when compounded by dry eye symptoms. Our team is committed to providing you with personalized care and effective solutions to alleviate your discomfort. Do not let seasonal allergies exacerbate your dry eye symptoms any longer — contact us today to schedule an appointment and take the first step towards enjoying greater eye comfort and clarity.

Winter brings cold, snow and for many people, dry eye. Due to changes in indoor and outdoor moisture levels, it’s the time of year that dry eye is most common. The good news is that it is often preventable or relieved easily. The dedicated eye care specialists at Reading’s Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons offer tips on relieving winter dry eye.

When the eye produces too few tears or the tears they produce do not offer adequate lubrication, the result is dry eye. The eye care specialists at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons explain how to relieve dry eye in the short term. Chronic dry eye, however, requires professional evaluation and treatment.

Dry Eye Causes 

Temporary dry eye can result from the use of certain medications. The side effects of antihistamines and nasal decongestants include dry eye. That is also true of certain drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure, as well as antidepressants and acne medications. Do not stop using prescription drugs without consulting your doctor. Discuss whether there are suitable substitutes that may not cause dry eye.

Here are a few ways to relieve occasionally dry eyes:

1. Artificial Tears

Use over-the-counter artificial tears to soothe mildly dry eyes. Do not use products advertised to reduce redness if your eyes are not red. By constricting blood vessels, they may cause irritation. Artificial tears are applied several times daily.   

2. Reduce Screen Time

Excessive screen time and dry eye often go hand-in-hand. If possible, reduce the amount of time spent staring at screens, including television, and see if symptoms subside. When using screens, take regular breaks and make sure to blink regularly.

3. Omega-3 Supplements

Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements may relieve dry eye symptoms over time, although they do not provide immediate relief. An alternate or complement to supplements is consuming foods containing large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish, walnuts and flax or chia seeds.

4. Stay Hydrated

Hydration is crucial for good health. A lack of hydration may cause various issues, including dry eye. Keep water on hand and drink it throughout the day. 

5. Use a Humidifier

A dry environment aggravates dry eye. Use a humidifier to keep a healthy amount of moisture in your indoor environment.

Permanent Dry Eye Solutions

If dry eye is an ongoing issue, consider permanent dry eye solutions. An eye care professional will determine the source of your chronic dry eye and devise the best solution for your needs.

Prescription medications can reduce eyelid inflammation contributing to dry eye. Other drugs may increase tear production. Other solutions involve contact lenses designed to hold moisture, eye inserts that dissolve slowly and mimic tears, and light therapy accompanied by eyelid massage. Many patients benefit from a combination of therapies.

Contact Us

If you are experiencing ongoing dry eye, contact the dedicated eye care specialists at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons to schedule a consultation. You need a definitive diagnosis as to the cause of chronic dry eye for appropriate therapy. We will answer all of your questions and let you know your treatment options.

Dry eye disease occurs when your eyes do not produce a sufficient amount of tears, or when your tears evaporate too quickly from the surface of your eyes. The disease commonly causes red eyes, eye fatigue, a gritty or scratchy sensation in the eyes, light sensitivity and blurry vision.

Millions of Americans are affected by dry eye syndrome, yet there is a lot of confusion about the condition. Below, the team at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons answers the most commonly asked questions about dry eye. If you need clarification about any of this information, we invite you to call or email our practice. (more…)