Dry eyes are annoying and uncomfortable to deal with. Dry eye syndrome can cause your eyes to be itchy, watery, have a burning sensation, a gritty feeling, and possibly even blurred vision. If ignored, it can lead to severe eye diseases and even cause eventual blindness.
Addressing this eye condition is incredibly important. There are many factors that can lead to dry eye syndrome. One of the major factors is allergies. Seasonal allergies, as well as allergies to dust or other daily irritants, can cause you to suffer from dry eye.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eye syndrome occurs when the eyes tear film has lost its balance, thereby causing instability. The tear film will then have a higher salt concentration. In turn, the eye will not produce enough tears to create lubrication, and any tears that are created will quickly evaporate. The higher salt content of the tears also causes damage to the eyes, and clogs up the oil glands, leading to further discomfort.
How Do You Know if Allergies Are Affecting Your Dry Eyes?
A diagnostic test we use at our Dry Eye Center of Excellence, called Doctor’s Allergy Formula, can be used to determine if allergies are affecting your eyes. Doctor’s Allergy Formula is non-invasive, requires no needles, and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This test is designed to rule out various ocular allergies and can be customized for the specific allergens in the area which you live in. This test is quick, taking only three minutes to administer and about 10 to 15 minutes for results.
The test uses a comprehensive panel of 60 allergens, so if allergies are the issue, it will find out which allergens are contributing to your symptoms. Once it is determined whether allergens are a factor, and what specific allergens are causing you issues, your eye doctor can help determine how best to treat your eyes.
Do You Suffer From Dry Eyes? Let Our Eye Doctors Test You for Ocular Allergies!
Living with dry eye syndrome is not only annoying and painful, but it can also lead to long term issues with your eyes. It is important that you do not delay finding out what is causing your dry eyes and figuring out the best way to treat them. To schedule allergy testing, call us today at (561) 737-4040 to make an appointment with one of our eye doctors in Palm Beach County.