Dry eye and safe driving

Drivers need good vision to drive safely and legally. At our Vancouver eye clinic, our eye doctors diagnose and treat many eye and vision conditions that affect driving. But did you know that dry eye syndrome is one of them?

Dry Eye Syndrome (also called dry eye disease) has a significant impact on vision quality and can impair safe driving. Read more...




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Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Severe dry eye syndrome after LASIK

Patients always have questions about whether LASIK surgery is safe. It generally is safe and most people that undergo LASIK are very happy with the results.  But there are risks and complications which can be severe and debilitating. Dry eyes (also known as tear dysfunction syndrome, dry eye syndrome, dry eye disease) is the most common complication following LASIK surgery. Read more...

To learn more about dry eye syndrome, visit www.dryeyedoctor.ca.

Can candy canes cure dry eye disease? Researchers say yes. And yum!

Can an candy cane cure dry eye disease?

This holiday season, try sucking on a candy cane to cure your dry eye disease.  A study by researchers at the Department of Physiology of Nepal Medical College in Kathmandu set out to determine enjoyment of a mouth-watering candy can increase tear production in your eyes.  Read more at DryEyeDoctor. ca...

Image courtesy of scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dry eye syndrome after cataract surgery

At our Vancouver eye clinic, we see and treat lots of patients who have dry eyes following cataract surgery.  Cataract surgery results in dry eye syndrome because the surgery cuts the nerves in the cornea of the eye, which impairs the ability of the eye to create a proper tear film. The result is dry eye.   Dry eye can cause pain, irritation and  decreased vision.  Here's what everyone contemplating cataract surgery should know about what to do about dry eye.  Read more...

Eye drops image courtesey of marin/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Eye allergy, dry eye disease, virus or bacteria - which one is bothering my eyes?

It is a scene that happens every day at our Vancouver eye clinic.  A child comes in with dry eyes.  Simple, right?  Not at all! Here is a window on how doctors distinguish between dry eye disease, bacterial infections, viral infections and eye allergies.

If a child has dry eyes, doctors have to find the cause.  Dry eyes in kids can be caused by allergies, viruses, bacteria or systemic diseases.  A good doctor will correctly determine the cause of the dryness in order to treat the problem effectively.

Doctors distinguish between bacterial and viral infections on the one hand and allergies on the other using many techniques.  One of them is by noting the duration of the episode.   Viral and bacterial infections are usually not chronic.  By contrast, a chronic problem can point to an eye allergy.

Only about 1.5% of healthy children have dry eye disease symptoms and for most children dry eye is the symptom of an eye allergy.  However, parents of children with dry eyes need to take them to the optometrist for evaluation because some symptoms point to potentially serious problems. 

For example, dry eyes with the presence of a symptom such as burning is an indication of possible systemic disease.  In certain children with dry eyes, certain things point to dry eye syndrome such as a history of systemic disease like rheumatoid juvenile arthritis or Sjögren’s syndrome.  Conversely, other things point to allergies such as a history of asthma or atopic dermatitis. Bacteria or a virus may be the cause of dry eyes if the child has a history of recent upper respiratory infection,  or a recent eye infection in a sibling.

Doctors pay close attention to patient symptoms because these help to distinguish between dry eye disease (aka dry eye syndrome) and eye allergy.  Here are some symptoms and the cause that they point to:

• itching is strongly associated with eye allergy; 
• burning and foreign body sensation are associated with dry eye disease;
• complaints of lids matted together, along with irritation and soreness suggest a bacterial infection
• irritation and pain suggest a virus;
• sensitivity to light is also usually associated with a virus;
• tearing eyes are usually a sign of dry eye;

To learn more about eye allergies in kids, click here.

What can go wrong if you don't get treatment for your dry eye?

Here is a post on DryEyeDoctor.ca about all of the rotten, horrible, no good, very bad things that can happen if people with dry eye syndrome ignore it and don't get any treatment.  And that list is beside the obvious that untreated dry eye give you a poor quality of life, with uncomfortable eyes and vision for your waking life.  Read more...

Does Restasis work?

One of the most well known dry eye medications is Restasis which was created by and sold by the company Allergan.  The active ingredient in Restasis is Cyclosporine. 

Many patients have seen television commercials on Restasis featuring Dr. Alison Tendler (see the photo to the left) and they come to our Vancouver eye clinic asking our doctors whether Restasis really works or is it all hype and marketing.  The answer is yes, it does work.  It requires the doctor to take enough time to educate the patient on how Restasis works and when the patient can expect results.  If the patient follows the doctor's instructions, relief from dry eye syndrome is likely.  Read more...

Related dry eye articles:

Dry eye syndrome hurts work productivity
Oct 31, 2012

Digital eye strain - who's at risk? - See For Life
Oct 13, 2012

The basic facts about dry eye syndrome - See For Life
Apr 05, 2012

Caffeine improves dry eye syndrome
Apr 18, 2012

Depressed? Anxious? Maybe your eyes are too dry ... - See For Life
Apr 20, 2012

Women, already the worst sufferers of dry eye, make it worse with makeup
Apr 06, 2012

68% of women say that over-the-counter eye drops don't work for dry eye sydrome
Apr 28, 2012

Menopausal women are at high risk of developing dry eye disease
Apr 27, 2012