Dry Eye Disease Treatment in Raleigh

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Bringing You Comprehensive Dry Eye Relief

Dr. Watson and her team at Watson Dry Eye Center are dedicated to finding your ideal dry eye treatment. No two people have the same dry eye condition. We know it’s essential to understand each individual’s unique condition and how it affects their overall wellbeing. 

When you visit us, we work with you to diagnose and treat the exact cause of your dry eye discomfort—not just your symptoms. This ensures the best chance of bringing you long-term dry eye relief, not just a short term fix. 

Visit us and discover how our passion for bringing you dry eye relief can benefit you.

Who Can Get Dry Eye?

Anybody can get dry eye disease. People of all ages, genders, and racial backgrounds are at similar risk of developing dry eye. However, dry eye risk is increased for those who:

  • Spend a lot of time using digital screens
  • Wear contacts without proper care
  • Use eye makeup every day
  • Have skin conditions like rosacea 
  • Have used medications like Accutane

Your risk of developing dry eye disease depends largely on your environment. If you live in a windy, dry place your eyes are more likely to become dry.

Teens & Dry Eye

As teenagers spend more and more time on screens, their risk of developing dry eye increases. Why? Because when they focus on screens for so long, sometimes hours at a time, they don’t blink enough. 

When teens don’t blink enough, they don’t give their eye surface the moisture it needs to remain healthy and moisturized. Without that essential delivery of tear film, the eye surface dries out and can be vulnerable to developing dry eye disease symptoms. 

You can protect your teen’s long-term eye health by encouraging reduced screen time and teaching them the 20–20–20 rule: for every 20 minutes of screen time, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Dry Eye Causes & Symptoms

Dry eye disease is mainly caused when your tears don’t properly lubricate your eye surface, which typically means you aren’t producing enough of them or your tears aren’t high quality. An estimated 16 million Americans experience dry eye disease.

Causes

Dry eye disease is mainly caused by two different conditions affecting your tear glands.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is a condition affecting the production or distribution of meibum oil to your tears. Your tears need meibum as part of their oily outer layer which prevents the tears from drying too quickly. Without healthy meibomian glands you can experience dry eye.

Blepharitis causes your eyelids to become inflamed and irritated due to a buildup of bacteria along the eyelid and eyelash lines. Blepharitis can clog the tear glands around your eye that deliver tear film, which can cause dry eye over time.

Dry eye can cause severe discomfort, irritation, and eye pain. Symptoms of dry eye include:

  • Itchy eyes
  • Red eyes
  • Burning sensation
  • Blurry vision
  • Stinging eyes
  • Light sensitivity
  • Contact lens discomfort

More Than Eye Health

Dry eye disease is about more than your eye health. If you experience chronic dry eye, you understand how it can interfere with your everyday life. The constant gritty feeling, difficulty focusing, and eye pain can have a negative impact on your mental health. 

At Watson Dry Eye Center, we understand that your eye health is part of your overall health. We take a comprehensive approach to understand every aspect of your particular condition to help bring you relief, physically and mentally.

Dry Eye Treatment Options

After we diagnose your dry eye, the next step is to start your comprehensive treatment plan. Dr. Watson and the rest of our team at Watson Dry Eye Center are dedicated to building you a personalized treatment plan featuring the latest technological advancements in the field.

OptiLight

The OptiLight by Lumenis is an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy device that uses small bursts of light to impact the skin just under the eyes. This helps reduce blockages in the meibomian glands and help tears flow more freely.

LipiFlow uses gentle heat and a precise amount of pressure simultaneously. This device helps treat blockages in your meibomian glands that cause meibomian gland dysfunction, so your eyes stay lubricated and your tears remain healthy.

We use skin tightening treatment when your dry eye disease is caused by bacteria and dirt entering your eyelid due to sagging skin on your eyelids. TempSure Envi delivers precise radiofrequency waves to tighten skin and support collagen production.

If your dry eye is caused by blepharitis, we can use BlephEx to bring you relief. BlephEx is a device that helps us clear the bacteria and debris buildup along your eyelash line to reduce dry eye symptoms.

Eye drops can add moisture to your eye surface when your tears aren’t high quality enough to properly do it on their own. At Watson Dry Eye Center, we prescribe Restasis and Xiidra eye drops, depending on your specific needs.

Get the Relief You Need

You don’t have to live with dry eye disease. Dr. Watson has dedicated her career to understanding dry eye treatments and causes, and has selected high quality treatment options to bring you relief based on understanding the underlying cause of your dry eye. Visit us to get your personalized treatment plan and find relief from irritating, painful dry eye disease.

Our Location

Watson Dry Eye Center is located in Raleigh, right on the corner of Forest Pines Drive and Common Oaks Drive. There’s lots of parking available right in the lot right in front of our practice.        

Our Address

  • Suite 120
    11081 Forest Pines Dr.
  • Raleigh, NC 27614

Contact Us

Clinic Hours

  • Monday: 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
  • Thursday: 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed

Help Your Teen See & Be Seen
(Comfortably)

Our teenagers are spending more time every day on their screens. Dry eye symptoms can be exacerbated by excessive screen time which is becoming increasingly common among teenagers and young adults.

Your teen doesn’t have to struggle with dry eye symptoms. At Watson Dry Eye Center, we have an incredible team that specializes in dry eye treatment and management.

Their education and social life are the center of their world and dependent on clear, comfortable vision. Allow them to focus on it with dry eye treatment.  

Get ahead of dry eye by booking an appointment with our team.

Our Blog

Do Your Blinking Exercises

Blinking, Dry Eye Disease

Did you know you can do blinking exercises to help prevent dry eyes? Yes, even your eyelids need exercising! Your eyelid glands are crucial to keeping your eyes well-lubricated with the proper tear film. Keeping them fit and healthy means working them regularly and properly to avoid them drying out. Why Are Blinking Exercises Important? […]

Read More…

December 15, 2020
Dr. Watson

Telemedicine for Dry Eyes

Dry Eye Disease, Telemedicine

We are proud to offer telemedicine services for our patients at Watson Dry Eye Center in Raleigh, NC. Convenient, affordable, and secure, it allows patients to connect with us more easily and safely. While Telemedicine may not be appropriate for all services, we recommend it as an alternative to in-office exams when seeking non-emergent eye care. Pros […]

Read More…

December 15, 2020
Dr. Watson

How to Prevent Dry Eyes in Teenagers

Blinking, Dry Eye Disease, Screen Time, Teenagers

Is your teenager suffering from dry eyes? You are probably spending significantly more time with your teenagers right now, so you may notice a few things: Are they glassy-eyed?  Well, of course they are.  They’re bored. See them rubbing their eyes?  Sure.  It’s Spring.  They have allergies. Are their eyes red?  Yep, they’ve been video gaming 4 […]

Read More…

December 15, 2020
Dr. Watson

Did you know you can do blinking exercises to help prevent dry eyes? Yes, even your eyelids need exercising! Your eyelid glands are crucial to keeping your eyes well-lubricated with the proper tear film. Keeping them fit and healthy means working them regularly and properly to avoid them drying out. Why Are Blinking Exercises Important? […]

Read More…

We are proud to offer telemedicine services for our patients at Watson Dry Eye Center in Raleigh, NC. Convenient, affordable, and secure, it allows patients to connect with us more easily and safely. While Telemedicine may not be appropriate for all services, we recommend it as an alternative to in-office exams when seeking non-emergent eye care. Pros […]

Read More…

Is your teenager suffering from dry eyes? You are probably spending significantly more time with your teenagers right now, so you may notice a few things: Are they glassy-eyed?  Well, of course they are.  They’re bored. See them rubbing their eyes?  Sure.  It’s Spring.  They have allergies. Are their eyes red?  Yep, they’ve been video gaming 4 […]

Read More…

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