Why Dry Eye Is Often Overlooked
Many patients live with dry eye for years without realizing it's treatable. The symptoms can be subtle: mild blurring late in the day, discomfort with screen use, or that feeling like something is in your eye.
Paradoxically, watery eyes are often a sign of dry eye. When the surface of your eye is too dry, your body overcompensates with reflex tearing — producing the wrong kind of tears at the wrong time.
What Causes It?
Evaporative dry eye — the most common type, caused by meibomian gland dysfunction. These tiny glands in your eyelids produce the oily layer that keeps tears from evaporating too fast. When they get clogged, tears evaporate too quickly.
Aqueous-deficient dry eye — your lacrimal glands aren't producing enough tears. This is more common in people over 50 and in certain autoimmune conditions.
What We Do at Nostrand Optical
Dr. Shlivko evaluates your tear film, lid margin health, and meibomian gland function during your exam. Treatment may include:
- Prescription eye drops (Restasis, Xiidra, or Cequa)
- Warm compress therapy and lid hygiene
- Omega-3 supplementation
- Punctal plugs to reduce tear drainage
When to Come In
Don't wait for symptoms to become severe. Chronic inflammation from untreated dry eye can damage the surface of your eye over time.
Call us at (718) 773-9391. We accept Medicaid, Medicare, and most major insurance plans.