Understanding Your Dry Eyes
Dry eye is common, and several factors can cause this condition. Regardless of why your eyes are dry, the results are the same: uncomfortable, irritated eyes. Fortunately, relief is available.
Visit one of our locations and experience a comprehensive evaluation of your eyes and tear film. Our team assesses all aspects of your eye health to identify the root cause of your symptoms and provide a treatment plan.
Visit one of our locations, and we can help diagnose and treat dry eye.
Understand the Basics of Dry Eye
Dry eye is an often chronic condition where your tears cannot effectively lubricate your eyes, leading to several irritating symptoms. Patients with dry eyes may struggle with light sensitivity, watery eyes, foreign object sensations, or burning, stinging, and scratching sensations in the eyes.
While several factors can affect dry eye, this condition develops from issues with your tear film.
Your tears have 3 main ingredients:
- The lipid layer features an oily substance secreted from the meibomian glands. This layer helps prevent your tears from evaporating too quickly.
- The aqueous layer is the water-like component of your tears. This layer is the main ingredient in your tears and helps support the other 2 layers, keep the eyes wet, and nourish them.
- The mucous layer coats the cornea. It helps your tears distribute themselves evenly across the surface of your eye.
When complications arise in the tear film, it can lead to dry, irritated eyes.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eyes happen because of tear film dysfunction. Essentially, your tears cannot keep your eyes lubricated and comfortable. Dry eyes have 2 root causes: insufficient tear volume or poor-quality tears.
Aqueous Tear-Deficient Dry Eye
Aqueous tear-deficient dry eye can come from issues in other parts of your body, but it occurs when your tears lack moisture. It can develop when your lacrimal glands fail to produce enough tears.
Several conditions can lead to decreased tear production, including:
Evaporative Dry Eye
Evaporative dry eye (EDE) occurs when your tears evaporate too quickly. It usually happens when there is a blockage in the oil glands, upsetting your eye’s lipid layer.
Similar to the effects of aqueous tear-deficient dry eye, your eyes may feel inflamed and irritated with evaporative dry eye. Your optometrist can accurately diagnose this condition and recommend a suitable treatment plan. If you have EDE, there’s a lot we can do in-office to help you retain moisture from your natural tear level.
Diagnosing Dry Eye
Medical diagnostic tests help us determine the type of dry eye you’re experiencing and the severity of your condition. We test for dry eye by examining the tear film and assessing its quality.
Some tests we employ include:
- Lipid (oil) layer tests: LipiView, lipid layer thickness (LLT), meibomian gland function scores, and a blink test.
- Aqueous (tear) layer tests: Tear osmolarity, noninvasive tear break-up time (NITBUT)
- Mucin (cells) layer tests: Fluorescein eye stain test, eyelid margins, and conjunctiva (lissamine green)
- Presence of Demodex and blepharitis along the eyelid margin
- Patient ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and lifestyle or environmental factors questionnaire
Relieve Your Dry Eye Symptoms
Dry eye is a common condition many patients experience, leading to irritating and uncomfortable symptoms. Thankfully, this condition is treatable, and we can help relieve your symptoms. Our team can diagnose and treat dry eye at its source, helping you enjoy comfortable vision.
Learn more about our available treatments by visiting our dry eye treatments and eye spa pages.
Visit Our Locations
Langford
& Area
Find us at the corner of Langford Parkway and Jacklin Road. We’re across the parking lot from the White Spot.
- 778.744.3483
- 778.405.1657
- [email protected]
- 2968 Jacklin Rd
- Langford, BC V9B 0A3
* Hours may change for holidays. Please refer to our google business page.
Our Hours
Duncan
& Area
We’re located next to Thrifty Foods just off Beverly Street. If you have any trouble finding us, please give us a call.
- 778.403.7715
- 250.597.3456
- [email protected]
- 2755 Beverly Street, Unit 2
- Duncan, BC V9L 6X2
* Hours may change for holidays. Please refer to our google business page.
Our Hours
Chemainus
& Area
We look forward to helping you achieve your vision goals at our Chemainus location. Find us just off of Maple Lane and Croft Street.
- 250.246.3405
- 250.246.3408
- [email protected]
- 9844 Croft Street, Unit 106
- Chemainus, BC V0R 1K0
* Hours may change for holidays. Please refer to our google business page.
Our Hours
Cobble Hill
& Area
Our Cobble Hill location is just off Cowichan Bay Road on the upper level of Valleyview Centre. If you have any trouble finding us, please give us a call.
- 778.403.7702
- 250.743.8898
- [email protected]
- 1400 Cowichan Bay Rd, Unit 56
- Cobble Hill, BC V0R 1L3
* Hours may change for holidays. Please refer to our google business page.
Our Hours
Lake Cowichan
& Area
We are conveniently located in the plaza off of Stanley Road and Cowichan Lake Road. Find us across from Central Park.
- 250.749.4440
- 250.749.4448
- [email protected]
- 44 Stanley Road
- Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0
* Hours may change for holidays. Please refer to our google business page.
Our Hours
Our Brands
Our Google Reviews
About Us
Our Partners
Eye Exams
Specialty Services
Eye Health
Brands
Our Locations
Duncan and Area
- 2755 Beverly Street, Unit 2
- Duncan, BC V9L 6X2
- 778.403.7715
- 250.597.3456
- [email protected]
Chemainus And Area
- 9844 Croft Street, Unit 106
- Chemainus, BC V0R 1K0
- 250.246.3405
- 250.246.3408
- [email protected]
Cobbie Hill and Area
- 1400 Cowichan Bay Rd, Unit 56
- Cobble Hill, BC V0R 1L3
- 778.403.7702
- 250.743.8898
- [email protected]
Lake Cowichan and Area
- 44 Stanley Road
- Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0
- 250.749.4440
- 250.749.4448
- [email protected]
