Dry, Itchy, Red, or Tired Eyes in Raleigh

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Get Relief from Itchy, Dry, Red, & Tired Eyes

Living with dry, itchy, red, or tired eyes can be painful, irritating, and distracting. When itchy eyes get out of control, you may constantly rub them to the point where the condition interferes with your overall well being.

While it may seem like relief is a long way away, our team at Watson Dry Eye Center is committed to helping you overcome it. We’re dedicated to treating the direct cause of itchy eyes, not just the symptoms.

Why Do Itchy Eyes Happen?

Itchy eyes can develop due to environmental factors such as allergies or airborne irritants such as smoke or pollutants. Eyelid inflammation from blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction can also cause itchy eyes due to their effect on tear quality and quantity. 

When you don’t produce enough tears or the tears you make aren’t high quality, it can cause dry eye disease.

When you blink, your eyelid coats your eye surface with a thin layer of tear film. This tear film keeps the eye surface moisturized and protects it from irritants. The higher quality of tears you produce, the more lubricated they are, reducing irritation and itchiness.

How Do You Diagnose Itchy Eyes?

Diagnosing itchy eyes as a symptom is simple—if your eyes are itchy, you have itchy eyes. At Watson Dry Eye Center, we’re interested in diagnosing and treating the cause. 

To determine the cause of itchy eyes, we use the following tests:

  • Tear film analysis to measure the quality & quantity of your tears
  • Gland imaging to measure inflammation in your eyelids
  • Allergy testing to reveal any ocular-specific allergies
  • Omega-3 fatty acid analysis to detect meibomian gland dysfunction

After diagnosing the exact cause of your itchy eyes, Dr. Watson and the team at Watson Dry Eye Center can work with you to find the best course of treatment.

Dry, Red, or Tired Eyes

Along with itchy eyes, our team at Watson Dry Eye Center can help you find relief from dry, red, or tired eyes through innovative and effective treatment methods. Dry, red, or tired eyes can be caused by a variety of reasons, including dry eye disease and rosacea

Our team will diagnose the cause of your condition and begin preparing a personalized treatment plan that can help you find relief.

Understanding Red Eyes

Red eyes can appear irritated and bloodshot. You experience red eye when the tiny blood vessels just underneath the surface of your eye become inflamed. On top of looking unhealthy, red eyes can cause:

  • Eye pain 
  • Itchy eyes
  • Eye swelling
  • Blurry vision

Red eyes are often caused by irritation of the eye surface, which you can usually treat with a remedy like a cold compress or artificial tears. However, some red eye causes are more severe and require thorough treatment, especially if red eyes persist for more than a week.

Diagnosing Red Eyes

To diagnose the underlying cause of red eyes, our team at Watson Dry Eye Center performs a series of tests to narrow down the root cause. From there, we develop a comprehensive treatment plan based on your individual needs. 

We use the following methods to diagnose red eye causes:

  • Tear film analysis 
  • Gland imaging 
  • Allergy testing
  • Omega-3 fatty acid analysis 

It’s vital to understand and diagnose the exact cause of your red eyes to recommend the most effective treatment plan.

Treating Dry, Itchy, Red, & Tired Eyes at
Dry Eye Center

Your personalized treatment for itchy eyes will depend on the diagnosed cause of your condition. Each treatment is not only specific to each itchy eye cause but can be customized to suit the needs of each individual patient to give them the greatest likelihood of getting relief.

Prescription Eye Drops

Prescription eye drops are suitable for people whose itchy eyes are caused by dry, itchy, red, or tired eyes. They help soothe the eye surface, reducing itchiness and providing relief.

At Watson Dry Eye Center, we prescribe Restasis and Xiidra eye drops, depending on your specific needs.

When your tears evaporate too quickly, it can cause itchy, dry, red, or tired eyes. Punctal occlusion works by plugging your tear duct openings (punctum) to stop tears from draining, ensuring your eyes use the high-quality tears they make.

BlephEx is a treatment to remove debris and bacteria from your eyelids to relieve symptoms of blepharitis, including itchy, red, and dry eyes.

BlephEx takes 6-8 minutes to complete. Your doctor uses the BlephEx device along the edge of your eyelids and eyelashes, removing accumulated bacteria and debris from the area.

LipiFlow is used to treat meibomian gland dysfunction, which lowers your tear quality and causes itchy eyes and dry eye disease.

LipiFlow uses heat and pressure to break up blockages in your meibomian glands, allowing oil to flow more easily and integrate with your tear film.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy can treat itchy, dry, and red eyes caused by rosacea. IPL uses light waves to reduce inflammation and break up impacted blood cells from rosacea.

IPL can also reduce blockages in the meibomian glands and allow your tears to flow more naturally, which can relieve itchy eyes.

TempSure Envi is a device used during skin tightening treatments. Your doctor can use it to tighten your eyelid tissue and relieve dry eye symptoms, including itchy eyes.

Find the Right Treatment

You don’t have to go through overcoming itchy eyes alone. Our team at Watson Dry Eye Center is ready to help you with personalized, professional treatments to relieve itchy, dry, red, or tired eyes. 

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 5:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 8:00 AM 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 8:00 AM 5:00 PM
  • Thursday: 8:00 AM 5:00 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

Is Blepharitis Contagious?

Dry Eye Disease

Blepharitis is a common eye condition in which the eyelids become inflamed, causing discomfort and irritation. It can have a variety of causes, including infections, blocked meibomian glands, and sensitivity to eye makeup. If you’ve been diagnosed with blepharitis or know someone who has, you might be wondering whether it’s contagious and what steps you […]

Read More…

September 18, 2024
Dr. Watson

What Is IPL Treatment for Dry Eye?

Dry Eye Disease, IPL

Many people wake up with eyes that feel dry, gritty, or irritated. As dry eyes linger through the day, they can interfere with tasks and vision health. Enter IPL treatment, a promising solution for persistent dry eyes. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment for dry eye is a non-invasive procedure that uses bursts of light to […]

Read More…

September 18, 2024
Dr. Watson

Why Are My Eyes So Dry When I Wake Up?

Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye syndrome doesn’t take a break when you close your eyes for the night—it’s a persistent condition that affects people around the clock, regardless of the time of day. If you’ve ever found yourself waking up in the middle of the night or the morning with dry, irritated eyes, you’re certainly not alone in […]

Read More…

September 18, 2024
Dr. Watson
A close-up of a man rubbing his left bloodshot eye. His eyelids are highlighted with a red glow, suggesting inflammation.

Blepharitis is a common eye condition in which the eyelids become inflamed, causing discomfort and irritation. It can have a variety of causes, including infections, blocked meibomian glands, and sensitivity to eye makeup. If you’ve been diagnosed with blepharitis or know someone who has, you might be wondering whether it’s contagious and what steps you […]

Read More…

A person suffering from dry eyes removes their glasses to rub their eyes.

Many people wake up with eyes that feel dry, gritty, or irritated. As dry eyes linger through the day, they can interfere with tasks and vision health. Enter IPL treatment, a promising solution for persistent dry eyes. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment for dry eye is a non-invasive procedure that uses bursts of light to […]

Read More…

A man rubs his uncomfortable, dry eyes as he wakes up in bed.

Dry eye syndrome doesn’t take a break when you close your eyes for the night—it’s a persistent condition that affects people around the clock, regardless of the time of day. If you’ve ever found yourself waking up in the middle of the night or the morning with dry, irritated eyes, you’re certainly not alone in […]

Read More…

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