If you're suffering from burning, stinging, scratchy, sensitive, and watery eyes, how do you know if you need a medical eye exam? Multiple causes of dry eye may be mild, medium, or severe, regardless of your symptoms. Here are the top 5 signs that you should visit a doctor.
If your daily tasks are impacted, and you aren't seeing any improvement with home remedies and lifestyle adjustments, it's time to get an evaluation. Notice if you have difficulty reading, driving at night, or are constantly scratching your eyes.
You don't want to wait for complications that could further impair your vision and quality of life.
If your eyelid position looks off-kilter, there are noticeable bumps, swelling, flaky skin, or mucus on your eyelids that could indicate a problem. Dry eye syndrome could also be caused by eyelids that don't close properly, and the tears can dry out.
You, like many people, may or may not be aware of other health conditions that can affect the functioning of the Meibomian glands (sounds like my bow' mee en). When the oil gland's function is impaired, the tears (made up of oil, water, and mucus) evaporate too quickly from the eye's surface, causing dry, gritty, burning, itchy eyes. This can be due to the quantity or quality of the oil that contributes to fluids in the eye, or to a clogged gland itself. It's a good idea to be evaluated for Meibomian gland dysfunction, especially if you have underlying health conditions such as autoimmune issues, high cholesterol, or suspect an eye infection. If left untreated, it can lead to further cornea problems.
To summarize, an eye evaluation is recommended if you feel discomfort not relieved with self-care. If the condition impacts your lifestyle, if your eyes don't look right physically, or if you are constantly scratching them, get them checked by an expert. If you have an underlying health condition that makes you more vulnerable and are having symptoms, by all means, go in for a check-up. Evaluate and treat your eyes now before the problem can get worse.
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