# Eye care for Dry Eye Sufferers

> "I have tried every drop on the shelf and none of them last."

Artificial tears failing usually means the problem is evaporative rather than a lack of tear volume. If the oily layer that stops tears evaporating is not working, adding more watery tears gives minutes of relief and no more.

The most common thing dry eye patients say is that drops do not work. That is genuinely useful diagnostic information, because it points strongly at the mechanism.

There are two broad types and they need opposite treatments. Aqueous deficiency means not enough tears are produced. Evaporative dry eye, far more common, means enough tears are made but the oily layer from the eyelid glands is not holding them in place. Treating the second with the remedy for the first is why so many people conclude nothing helps.

Arizona makes everything worse. Low ambient humidity keeps the tear film under constant evaporative pressure and air conditioning removes what is left, so a marginal tear film that would cope elsewhere becomes symptomatic here.

## What matters most

**My eyes water constantly**

That is reflex tearing and it is one of the most common presentations of dry eye. A compromised surface floods the eye with watery tears that lack the oily layer needed to stay put, so they run down your face instead.

**It takes weeks to improve**

Meibomian gland dysfunction typically needs six to eight weeks of consistent daily treatment before a clear difference is felt. Most people stop at two weeks, exactly when it is starting to work.

**My contact lenses have become unwearable**

Often fixable. Material, replacement schedule and wearing time all matter, and scleral lenses with their fluid reservoir sometimes suit the most severe cases best.

## Where to start

- [Dry eye evaluation](https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/specialty-eye-care/dry-eye): Finding which mechanism is driving it
- [Meibomian gland dysfunction](https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/specialty-eye-care/meibomian-gland-dysfunction): The most common underlying cause
- [Lenses for dry eyes](https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/contact-lenses/contact-lenses-for-dry-eyes): Staying in lenses rather than giving up


## Questions and answers
**Could my medication be causing it?**

Very possibly. Antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure medication and diuretics all reduce tear production. Bring a full list to your evaluation.

**Is it curable?**

Chronic dry eye is managed rather than cured. The goal is comfortable, stable vision, and that is achievable for most people once the mechanism is identified.

---## About this practice
Arizona's Vision Eye Care Center, 15215 S 48th St Ste 180, Phoenix, AZ 85044.
Phone (480) 706-3937. Monday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Independent optometry practice, founded 1994. One location. Does not perform refractive or cataract surgery.
This site publishes no star rating and no review count, because the figures across the practice's own properties contradict one another and cannot be verified.
This page is general information, not medical advice.