Dry Eyes and Summertime

Long summer days are here.  If you don’t live in foggy San Francisco, you’ve probably noticed that the suns lingers until about 9 pm.  Longer days means more time outside.  Whether your hiking or lounging by the pool, it’s important to hydrate.  Summertime also means trips and vacations.  But all this time in the sun, by the pool and on an airplane may be hard on our eyes.  Especially, those of us who have dry eyes. 

Dry Eyes

This condition is very common and affects more than 3 million people and the risk of developing dry eyes only increases with age.  This syndrome is a chronic and typically progressive condition.  Depending on its cause and severity, it may not be completely curable. But in most cases, dry eyes can be managed successfully.   

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms, which usually affect both eyes, may include:

• A stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes
• Stringy mucus in or around your eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Eye redness
• A sensation of having something in your eyes
• Difficulty wearing contact lenses
• Difficulty with nighttime driving
• Watery eyes, which is the body’s response to the irritation of dry eyes
• Blurred vision or eye fatigue

Causes 

Your eyes are made up of tears.  These tears are made up of a mixture of water, fatty oils, and mucus.  For some people, dry eyes are caused by inadequate tear production.  Not enough tears are produced by your tear glands and ducts.  For others, the tear glands and ducts do make enough tears, but your eyelids don’t make enough oil to keep the tears from evaporating. 

What can I do? 

Schedule an exam to determine what causes your dry eyes.  Whether it’s the lack of tears or the increase of evaporation, the first step is to diagnose if you have dry eyes.  We have one of the best eye doctors in SF and she’s been treating dry eyes for 25+ years now.  She understands all the different dry eye drop available and knows which ones will work best due to the condition of your eyes.  In addition, she’s well-versed on the newest technologies, such as LipiFlow. 

Request an appointment today with Dr. Oxford through our website or call us at 415-923-3007.