Information about the conditions we treat at Laurel Eye Physicians. Before you skip this section because you may think, My eyes are not dry - they are wet and watery, please read on . . . This may apply to you!

Dry eyes often feel anything but dry.In fact, one of the most common complaints of people who do, in fact, have dry eyes, is that they water too much. Dry eye syndrome (DES) is not simply caused by insufficient tears. It is actually an inflammatory condition, and can cause any one or combination of the following:

• watery eyes


• fluctuating vision - sometimes your vision (with the appropriate glasses or contact lenses) seems normal, and other times it is difficult to see, and you may feel you have to blink a lot to clear up your vision - particularly with prolonged periods of visually demanding activities (computer work, reading, needlepoint)


• red eyes


• burning eyes


• sandy or gritty feeling - the feeling as if something is in your eyes


• eye pain


• light sensitivity


• tired eyes or eye strain

Symptoms typically get worse as the day goes on, as well as with visually demanding activities such as reading and computer use.

DES is particularly common in women, especially post-menopausal women. The hormone shifts that cause lots of dryness in the body, also contribute to dry eyes. It can also be exacerbated by certain medications, diuretics for example. It is also quite common in people with systemic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Although DES is a chronic condition for which there is no cure, there are many different treatment options to control the symptoms of DES. If you have been diagnosed with DES, or you feel your symptoms may be caused by DES, please call us for an appointment.