Severe dry eye can be a big problem. Dry eye is an uncomfortable, painful condition that can appear in different levels. Depending on the cause and sensitivity of the eye, you may be suffering from more than a mild or temporary dry eye condition. Severe dry eye should be treated by a trained medical professional. Luckily, there are many treatment options today that can help bring relief. Some people decide against going to an eye doctor because they think dry eye is a minor problem. Before you write off your frequently dry eyes, consider the possibility that you could have a severe, but treatable, condition.
Frequency of Dry Eye Symptoms
How often do you suffer from dry eye? Rare instances could mean a very minor situation that is easily treatable with over the counter eye drop. This may not necessarily call for an immediate trip to the eye doctor, however it should be mentioned on your next visit. If your problem happens very often, or even daily, then you may be suffering from a chronic, severe dry eye problem. This could call for a more dramatic treatment plan, such as a prescription medication.
Severity of Dry Eye Symptoms
How bad are your dry eye symptoms? This is, of course, going to be a matter of opinion. You know better than anyone else just how bad the condition feels. Both mild and severe dry eye cases generally include burning and itching sensations. Some patients experience a discharge as well as blurred vision and light sensitivity. If any of these is strong enough to influence your ability to function each day, you may have a severe dry eye situation.
Even if the symptoms are not debilitating, they can still be bad enough to make getting through the day difficult. You may still have a severe dry eye condition that should be reviewed by a medical professional.
Have You Visited Your Eye Doctor?
If you haven’t gotten the opinion of your eye doctor, now is the time to do so. A severe dry eye could indicate another underlying problem that needs immediate attention. On the other hand, you should not have to suffer each day with the discomfort of severe dry eye syndrome. Your doctor can determine the cause and come up with an ideal solution to help stop the burning, itching and general irritation of severe dry eye.