Dry Eyes After LASIK? Don't Ignore The Warning Signs
LASIK surgery offers a permanent solution to myopia. Finally, distant objects in your field of vision won't look blurry anymore—without the need for glasses or contact lenses. The LASIK procedure is incredibly common, but there's still a small degree of risk. Some patients undergoing LASIK treatment may find that their ability to produce tears can be compromised after the procedure. This puts you at increased risk of dry eye syndrome.
Eye Lubrication
A compromised ability to produce tears doesn't mean that you're unable to cry. It's more disruptive to your body's ability to lubricate your eyes, and this is potentially dangerous. Most people blink their eyes approximately 15 times per minute. The internal surface of your eyelid helps spread tear secretions over the eye to keep it hydrated. However, it doesn't matter how much you blink if your tear ducts have been damaged, and can't produce the required volume of fluid.
Corneal Nerve
Despite the precision of LASIK surgery, it's possible for your corneal nerve to become damaged during the procedure, and this nerve stimulates the production of tears. A damaged corneal nerve can result in decreased tear production, which prevents your eyes from maintaining their hydration. Dry eye syndrome can rapidly develop.
Symptoms
The symptoms of dry eye syndrome are unpleasant by themselves and can be amplified when your eyes are recovering from LASIK. They'll feel uncomfortably dry, itchy, and irritated, and can look conspicuously red. Your vision may become blurred. Although your condition has likely developed as the result of your LASIK, it has the potential to disrupt your healing, putting your recovery from myopia at risk.
Contact an Optometrist
Your optometrist can assist you with dry eye treatment, and please don't delay consulting an optometrist in order to begin treatment. Time is of the essence when you develop dry eye syndrome when recovering from eye surgery. The excellent news is that for most patients, there's no long-term damage, and your corneal nerve will return to normal. However, your dry eye syndrome will need to be managed while your corneal nerve heals.
Receiving Treatment
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your optometrist will have a number of treatment options. You'll likely need artificial tears (eyedrops) to lubricate your eyes as needed. Topical steroids may be prescribed to reverse any localized inflammation. Over-the-counter pain relievers may be taken as required, but it's unlikely that your symptoms will be so uncomfortable as to need them.
Please don't hesitate to contact your optometrist about dry eye symptoms following recent LASIK surgery. Fortunately, your dry eye syndrome should be self-correcting, but you'll still need to manage and monitor your condition.
To learn more, contact a company like Eye Institute of Mississippi.