(BPT) - Dry eye affects up to 40 million Americans, has many causes, and a variety of symptoms. Those who suffer from dry eye know one thing: that it can be very uncomfortable. Common dry eye symptoms include scratchiness or grittiness, the feeling of a foreign particle in the eye, redness and even excessive reflex watering.
Attacking the cause vs. the symptoms
kAm%96 F?56C=J:?8 724E@C :? k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]6J6AC@>:D6]4@>^2==\?2EFC2=\6J6\G:E2>:?D^5CJ\6J6^5CJ\6J6\=62C?:?8\C6D@FC46D^Qm5CJ 6J6 DJ?5C@>6 :D :?7=2>>2E:@?k^2m] #65F4:?8 :?7=2>>2E:@? @? E96 DFC7246 @7 E96 6J6 2?5 C68F=2E:?8 E96 8=2?5D E92E AC@5F46 E62CD 2C6 6DD6?E:2= E@ 67764E:G6=J >2?28:?8 5CJ 6J6] pCE:7:4:2= E62CD 2?5 C6H6EE:?8 5C@AD >2J @776C E6>A@C2CJ C6=:67[ 3FE E9:D @?=J EC62ED E96 DJ>AE@>]k^Am
kAmw@H E96 E62C 7:=> 27764ED 5CJ 6J6k^Am
kAm%96 E62C 7:=> 92D E9C66 =2J6CDi 2 H2E6C =2J6C[ 2? @:= =2J6C 2?5 2 >F4@FD =2J6C] %96 >F4@FD =2J6C :D =@42E65 @? E96 6J6 DFC7246 2?5 AC@G:56D ?2EFC2= =F3C:42E:@?] %96 ?6IE =2J6C :D E96 H2E6C =2J6C[ AC@5F465 3J 2 8=2?5 F?56C E96 FAA6C 6J6=:5] u:?2==J[ E96 @FE6C>@DE =2J6C :D E96 @:= =2J6C[ H9:49 :D AC@5F465 3J 8=2?5D 2=@?8 E96 C:> @7 E96 6J6=:5j E9:D =2J6C AC@E64ED E96 H2E6C =2J6C 7C@> 6G2A@C2E:?8 E@@ BF:4<=J] (96? 2?J @C 2== @7 E96 =2J6CD 2C6 ?@E 7F?4E:@?:?8 4@CC64E=J[ E96 E62CD >2J 364@>6 F?DE23=6 @C E96 E62CD >2J 6G2A@C2E6 E@@ BF:4<=J[ C6DF=E:?8 :? 5CJ 6J6]k^Am
kAmr@>>@? 42FD6D @7 5CJ 6J6k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 H:?E6C >@?E9D[ >2?J 6IA6C:6?46 5CJ 6J6 2D 9F>:5:EJ =6G6=D 5C@A 2?5 9@>6 962E:?8 DJDE6>D 2C6 24E:G2E65 C6DF=E:?8 :? 5C:6C 2:C] %9:D @7E6? 42FD6D E62CD E@ 6G2A@C2E6 >@C6 BF:4<=J] ~E96C =625:?8 42FD6D @7 5CJ 6J6 :?4=F56 2BF6@FD 8=2?5 5JD7F?4E:@?] x? E9:D D:EF2E:@?[ E62C\AC@5F4:?8 8=2?5D 5@ ?@E AC@5F46 6?@F89 E62C G@=F>6[ @C E96C6 :D =6DD\E92?\@AE:>2= E62C 4@>A@D:E:@?] k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]6J6AC@>:D6]4@>^2==\?2EFC2=\6J6\G:E2>:?D^5CJ\6J6\2?5\4@?E24ED^Qmr@?E24E =6?D H62C6CDk^2m 2C6 A2CE:4F=2C=J DFD46AE:3=6 E@ 5CJ 6J6 2D D@7E =6?D >2E6C:2=D C6BF:C6 255:E:@?2= =F3C:42E:@? 2?5 2 32=2?465 E62C 7:=> :D G:E2= E@ DF446DD7F= =6?D H62C:?8] x? >2?J 42D6D[ >65:42E65 6J6 5C@AD >2J 6I246C32E6 5CJ 6J6 :? 4@?E24E =6?D H62C6CD] xE :D 6DE:>2E65 E92E FA E@ 92=7 @7 4@?E24E =6?D H62C6CD 5:D4@?E:?F6 FD6 5F6 E@ 5:D4@>7@CE @7E6? 42FD65 3J 5CJ 6J6]k^Am
kAm#6=:6G:?8 5CJ 6J6k^Am
kAm|2?J 5@4E@CD 2?5 A2E:6?ED C6249 7@C 2? 6J6 5C@A E@ AC@G:56 :>>65:2E6 C6=:67 @7 5CJ 6J6] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E92E :>>65:2E6 C6=:67 :D E6>A@C2CJ] |F49 92D 366? HC:EE6? 23@FE ~>682\bD :? C646?E J62CD :?4=F5:?8 :ED FD6 2D 2? 67764E:G6 EC62E>6?E @7 5CJ 6J6] pD 2 ?2EFC2= 2?E:\:?7=2>>2E@CJ[ ~>682\bD 2C6 6DD6?E:2= 72EEJ 24:5D E92E DFAA@CE 962=E9J E62C AC@5F4E:@? 2?5 <66A 6J6D >@:DEFC:K65] x? 255:E:@? E@ ~>682\bD[ @E96C 2?E:\:?7=2>>2E@CJ :?8C65:6?ED =:<6 G:E2>:?D p[ sb[ t[ EFC>6C:4 6IEC24E[ 8C66? E62[ 2?5 6G6?:?8 AC:>C@D6 @:=[ 42? D:8?:7:42?E=J 2446=6C2E6 E96 E:>6 :E E2<6D E@ 766= 5CJ 6J6 C6=:67] |2?J 6J6 42C6 AC@76DD:@?2=D 2C6 C64@>>6?5:?8 @C2= 2?E:\:?7=2>>2E@C:6D 2D 2 7:CDE DE6A E@ C65F46 @4F=2C DFC7246 :?7=2>>2E:@? 2?5 C68F=2E6 8=2?5 7F?4E:@? H:E9@FE E96 F?H2?E65 D:56 67764ED ?@E65 H:E9 E@A:42= 286?ED]k^Am
kAm|2?28:?8 5CJ 6J6k^Am
kAm{625:?8 6J6 42C6 AC@76DD:@?2=D 28C66 E92E 5CJ 6J6 :D 2? @?8@:?8 :DDF6 E92E 42??@E 36 4FC65[ 3FE 42? 36 67764E:G6=J >2?2865] ~C2= 5CJ 6J6 G:E2>:?D 7C@> 3C2?5D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]6J6AC@>:D6]4@>^6KE62CDQmtJ6!C@>:D6k^2m 762EFC6 2== ?2EFC2= :?8C65:6?ED[ 2?5 AC@G:56 5CJ 6J6 C6=:67 7C@> E96 :?D:56 3J C65F4:?8 :?7=2>>2E:@? 2?5 C68F=2E:?8 962=E9J E62C AC@5F4E:@?]k^Am
kAmv6E 2 ;F>A @? 5CJ 6J6 D62D@? E9:D H:?E6Ck^Am
kAmr@?DF=E H:E9 J@FC 6J6 5@4E@C 23@FE 2? 6I2> E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96 EJA6 @7 5CJ 6J6 J@F >2J 92G6[ 2?5 7@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? @C2= 2?E:\:?7=2>>2E@CJ 6J6 G:E2>:?D]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f__bU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f__bU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
