January 2015

Washington Eye Care Practice Helps Patients Combat Winter Dry Eye Syndrome

Posted on January 6, 2015 in Our Blog, Practice News

The doctors at North Cascade Eye Associates offer a variety of treatment options for patients suffering dry eye symptoms to keep their eyes healthy and vision sharp.

Mt. Vernon, WA – The cold, dry air of winter can be cause for eye problems, even for those who do not normally suffer from chronic eye conditions. The eyes require a specific quantity, as well as quality, of tear film to remain nourished and healthy. Dry eye disease, a common condition also known as dry eye syndrome, is usually the result of insufficient tear film production. In the winter, this condition may be more likely to manifest or become more severe, and it could lead to serious medical issues if left untreated. To help protect their patients’ eyes during the winter months, the eye doctors at North Cascade Eye Associates (Cascadia Eye) recommend a number of treatment options, depending on the severity of the condition.

The symptoms of this common ailment can be more expansive than simply experiencing dry eyes. According a recent blog post by Cascadia Eye, indications of dry eye in the winter – as well as other times of the year – may include eyes that are:

• Dry
• Itchy
• Irritated
• Red
• Watery

Without treatment, the condition can advance, often causing people to feel as if something is in their eye when nothing is there, experience fluctuations in the quality of their vision, or develop an increased sensitivity to glare. Fortunately, the Washington eye doctors at Cascadia Eye offer a variety of treatment methods to reverse the effects of this disease.

Typically, artificial teardrops (eye drops) are the first line of defense against this common winter condition. Medications and oral supplements can be used for cases that do not easily resolve with eye drops. For more extreme cases of dry eye disease, drainage systems or pulsation therapies can provide relief. The goal of all of these treatments is the same: to regulate the lubrication of the eye for protection. Treating conditions such as dry eye disease is just one of the many ways in which the doctors at North Cascade Eye Associates help their patients maintain healthy eyes and good vision all year long.

About North Cascade Eye Associates

North Cascade Eye Associates was established over 25 years ago and serves the Mt. Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, and Stanwood communities. In addition to providing a comprehensive array of eye care services and procedures in Washington, the doctors of Cascadia Eye are dedicated to traveling abroad on international mission trips to provide care to patients in need all around the world. The state-of-the-art eye care practice specializes in LASIK, cataract, and laser vision correction surgeries.

For more information about North Cascade Eye Associates, visit ncascade.com and facebook.com/2020forever.

Contact:

North Cascade Eye Associates

Mount Vernon
2100 Little Mountain Ln
Mt. Vernon, WA 98274
Phone: 360-416-6735

Sedro-Woolley
2131 Hospital Drive
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Phone: 360-416-6735

Stanwood
26910 92nd Ave NW #C6
Stanwood, WA 98292
Phone: 360-629-4180

Rosemont Media
(858) 200-0044
www.rosemontmedia.com

Dry Eyes and the Winter Season

Posted on December 4, 2014 in Our Blog

Maybe you’ve noticed your eyes feeling dry and scratchy, or getting red, or being overly watery recently. You could even feel like there’s something in them, even when your mirror tells you nothing is there. I’ve been noticing all of these things in my own eyes these past few weeks!

The likely reason? It’s dry eye season.

When the air is colder and drier than the rest of the year – yes, even here in rain-happy Washington – your eyes are much more susceptible to drying out. Even if you don’t normally have chronic dry eye problems like I do, when this kind of weather rolls around you might suddenly start feeling it.

Dr. Crowell, who also suffers from dry eyes, has a particular interest in treating them. She told me she has been seeing an increase in patients who come in because they feel like something is in their eye, when in actuality dry eyes are to blame. What’s more, having dry eyes can cause your vision to fluctuate, as we’ve discussed in a previous blog. So if you’re noticing increased glare or blurriness, especially when driving at night – you guessed it: once again, dry eyes might be the source.

The good news is, the problem is fixable. If you are noticing any of the symptoms I mentioned already (see the full list of symptoms here), we encourage you to come in and have one of our doctors confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity. In the meantime, your first line of defense can be over-the-counter artificial tears, taken at regular intervals throughout the day (try three times per day for a few days, and increase or decrease as comfort levels require). Just be sure you’re not buying anything with vasoconstrictors in it (read the label) or allergy drops – both of those will make the problem worse, not better.

If your dryness problem is severe, you may need more than just artificial tears. All of our doctors have access to the latest treatments and techniques to restore your tear production and take care of those problematic dry-eye symptoms.

Contact North Cascade Eye Associates

If you would like more information, or if you would like to schedule an appointment at North Cascade Eye Associates, please contact us today. We are happy to answer any questions you might have!

In addition, join us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to ask your questions about eyes, exams, and our practice. We’d love to hear from you – and There might be a blog to address your questions in the future.