If you have been dealing with dry, irritated eyes and those drugstore drops just are not cutting it, you are definitely not alone.  Dry eye is one of those things that sounds straightforward but is actually pretty sneaky – there is often more going on than meets the eye (pun intended!).

What many people do not realize is that there are actually two main types of dry eye, and figuring out which one you have makes all the difference in finding relief that actually lasts.

The first type is called aqueous deficient dry eye.  Think of it like your eyes just are not making enough of the watery tears they need.  This happens when your lacrimal gland is under-functioning.  Your eyes feel dry because, well, they literally are.

The second type – and this is the one we see a lot here in our beautiful but dry Okanagan climate – is evaporative dry eye.  With this one, you are actually making enough tears, but they are evaporating too fast.  It is like having a leaky bucket instead of a sturdy one.  This usually happens when the tiny oil glands (called meibomian glands) along your eyelids become blocked due to inflammation.  Things like our dry desert climate, sleeping under ceiling fans, staring at screens all day, or even having rosacea can make this worse.

Here is where it gets frustrating: if you do not know which type you are dealing with, you might be trying treatments that do not match the problem.  I have seen so many people get discouraged because they have tried everything on the pharmacy shelf with no luck.  It is not that the products do not work – they are just not the right fit for what is actually going on.

This is why I love what we do.  When you come in for a proper dry eye assessment, we can figure out exactly what is happening with your tears.  We will look at how your tear film behaves, check for any inflammation or irritation, and see how well those oil glands are working.  It is like being a detective, but for your eyes.

Once we know what we are dealing with, everything changes.  Someone with the watery-tear shortage might benefit from one type of treatment, while someone with the evaporative type might find their relief comes from a completely different approach.

The truth is, what works wonderfully for your friend or neighbor might not be your answer – and that is totally normal.  Everyone’s eyes are unique, just like everything else about us.  That is why getting the right diagnosis is not just helpful, it is really the key to feeling better long-term.

At Visionology, we are here to be your partners in this.  Whether you need a small adjustment to what you are already doing or a completely fresh approach with prescription options and specialized treatments, we will work together to find what fits your life.  You do not have to keep putting up with the discomfort or keep guessing at solutions that might not work.

Ready to finally get some real answers about your dry eyes?  Let’s chat – book an appointment and we will figure this out together.

Pursuing comfortably, clear vision,

Dr. Nancy