If you occasionally suffer from uncomfortably dry eyes, you’re not alone. Millions of American adults are affected by dry eyes, and symptoms are often worse in the summer months.

At VIP Laser Eye Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Stuart, and Port St. Lucie, Florida, we can help you find real relief from your dry, itchy, or burning eyes.

Our team, led by dry eye disease specialist Dr. Clifford Salinger can diagnose and treat your dry eye problems. We support you with expert care and advice as you keep your eyes healthy through all your summer activities.

What causes dry eyes?

Your eyes need to be continuously lubricated with tears. Each time you blink, you help form a tear film that protects your eyes and vision. This tear film promotes healing, prevents infection, keeps your corneas lubricated, and gets needed oxygen and nutrients to your eyes.

Problems with your tears could lead to uncomfortable dry eyes. Your tear glands might produce insufficient tears. Or, if the chemical composition of your tears is off, the moisture could evaporate too quickly from the surface of your eyes for a healthy tear film to form.

For some people with dry eye problems, the root cause is a condition called meibomian gland dysfunction, leaving tears without enough oil content. Your lacrimal glands could also be underperforming, producing insufficient water for your eyes’ needs.

There are many potential causes of dry eyes, including environmental factors like exposure to air conditioning, bright sunlight and wind, seasonal allergens, salt from the ocean, or even swimming pool chemicals. Many of these issues can get worse in the summer months.

Symptoms of dry eyes

The symptoms of dry eyes are often the same, regardless of the underlying reason for the problem. Your eyes feel itchy or as if they’re burning. You might also feel like you have something in your eyes or experience blurred vision or light sensitivity.

Alternatively, for some people with dry eye problems, the eyes respond to the extra irritation by making excess but low-quality tears, resulting in watery eyes.

Help for your dry eyes

You can get through the summer season in comfort, unbothered by dry eyes, with the help of the team at VIP Laser Eye Center.

You could benefit from:

• Using prescription eye drops (artificial tears)
• Getting treatment for allergies
• Wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protection
• Wearing a hat to block sunlight and glare
• Wearing goggles when swimming
• Adding humidifiers, air filters, or air purifiers at home or work
• Staying hydrated

At VIP Laser Eye Center, we also offer more advanced solutions for dry eyes, including LipiFlow®, a nonsurgical treatment that uses therapeutic energy to remove blockages from your tear glands to improve lubrication.

Our LipiFlow treatment is especially effective because it can be combined with BlephEx™ to treat eyelid inflammation and meibomian gland expression to unclog your oil glands and improve the quality of your tears.

If you’re concerned about your dry eyes, especially as summer heats up, get in touch with the dry eye specialists at VIP Laser Eye Center. Call the location most convenient to you to schedule your appointment now.