Advanced Dry Eye Center in Turlock, CA

Dry eye disease is becoming increasingly common, affecting millions of people worldwide. This chronic condition can significantly impact your life, sometimes making even the smallest of tasks seem difficult. If you have eye pain, blurry vision, and dry or watery eyes, it could be a sign that you have dry eye disease. But don’t worry! With a dry eye consult, our team can assess your vision and eye health to get you the treatment you need.

Request Appointment

What is Dry Eye Disease?

The Normal Tear Layers

Dry eye disease is a common eye condition that occurs when there is an issue with any one of the three components of your tears. Your tears are made up of 3 distinct layers, all of which work together to keep your eyes healthy:

1) The oily layer prevents your tears from evaporating too quickly

2) The watery layer delivers nutrients to your eyes

3) The mucus layer keeps your tear film stuck to the surface of your eyes

Symptoms

- A burning or scratchy sensation

- Itching

- Overly-watery eyes

- Sensitivity to light (photophobia)

- Eye redness

- Blurred vision

- Eye fatigue

- The sensation of having something in your eyes (foreign body sensation)

- Difficulty wearing contact lenses

- Stringy mucus

Evaporative Type

Evaporative Dry Eye is the most common type of dry eye disease. This type of dry eye occurs when you lack the proper amount of oil in your tears. When this happens, your tears can evaporate too quickly, drying out your eyes. In some cases, it can be caused by meibomian gland dysfunction, a disorder where the meibomian glands in your eyes become blocked, limiting the amount of oil being produced for your tears.

Aqueous Deficiency Type

Aqueous Tear Deficiency is the second type of dry eye disease. Your eyes lack the aqueous layer in your tears. This means that your eyes aren’t producing enough tears to keep the eye moist, which can lead to irritating and uncomfortable symptoms.

Request Appointment