Causes and Treatments of Dry Eye

At Utah Valley Eye, we’re glad to be a family eye care provider in Utah County. We treat children, adolescents, adults, and seniors with their vision needs. A good percentage of our practice in Provo and Orem is Lasik surgery.

Other than blurred vision, one of the more common eye problems that we treat is eye dryness. This can be caused by our notoriously dry climate, age, a side effect to medications, or even exacerbated by wearing contact lenses.

Common causes of dry eye

Other than climate, some causes of dry eye include: age (50 and older), vitamin A deficiency, diabetes, lupus, and thyroid disease, among others. Women have a higher occurrence of dry eye than men. This may be, in part, due to a woman’s use of hormonal methods of birth control, which can cause dry eyes.

Certain over the counter and prescription medications can also cause dry eyes, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, acne controlling prescription medications, and medications taken as a way to manage the tremors of Parkinson’s Disease.  If you’re taking any of these types of medication and experiencing dry eyes, please consult with your prescribing physician.

Treatments of dry eye

Depending on the cause, your doctor at Utah Valley Eye will recommend a proper course of treatment to solve the problem. Vitamin deficiencies are treated by adding foods rich with vitamin A such as cantaloupe, mango, sweet potatoes, carrots, raw red peppers, and kale to your diet. You can also use a multivitamin to supplement. Another nutritional supplement that can help with dry eyes is fish oil.

Other cases can be treated with prescriptions or lubricating drops. Often if the cause is determined to be a side effect to a medication, you may be a good candidate for a prescription to treat your eye dryness.

 Can Lasik surgery help?

If the cause for your eye dryness is determined to be from wearing contact lenses, you might be a good candidate for vision correction surgery. The professionals of our Provo Lasik surgery team can evaluate if you are a good candidate for the procedure. If you are, Lasik can free you from lenses and help you to see more clearly.