We help you get past the discomfort of dry, irritated or itchy eyes.

Dry, irritated eyes are the most common eye complaint. There are a number of potential dry eye causes, from allergies and irritants to insufficient or poor-quality tears, disease processes or medications. At Eyes First, we understand how the eyes work, why they can feel dry or irritated and – most importantly – how to help you overcome the discomfort with dry eye therapy. And we're proud to have earned a reputation for treating dry eye successfully. Your vision and the health of your eyes depend on a healthy ocular (eye) surface. In turn, a healthy ocular surface depends on sufficient moisture and lubrication. Unfortunately, many people have chronically insufficient moisture and lubrication, a condition most know as “dry eye.”

What is “dry eye”?

Dry eye is characterized by dryness, irritation, burning, itchiness, stickiness and feeling like there is a foreign body in your eye. These symptoms – among the most common complaints in eyecare – can damage your eyes, be a constant source of discomfort and diminish your quality of life. Dry eye disease also makes you more sensitive to your environment. For example, wind, poor air quality, low humidity, air conditioning and heating can cause discomfort... and impair your ability to see.

What causes dry eye?

This condition can have many causes. Primarily, lack of sufficient moisture and lubrication will be the result of either not enough tears, poor-quality tears or poor distribution of tears over the ocular surface. These can be caused by disease, medications, infection, age, injury to the tear-producing glands, autoimmune disorders, allergies, problems of the facial nerves and more.

Determining the nature of your dry eyes.

At Eyes First Vision Center, our optometrists use leading-edge and traditional methods to determine why you’re experiencing dry eye symptoms. We examine the ocular surface for dry spots and damage to identify problem areas. We also measure the quantity and quality of tears and evaluate eyelid position and function for problems with tear distribution.

Allergic reactions to dust, grasses, pollen (and many other allergens) can cause the eyes to become dry and irritated, mimicking the “dry eye” symptoms. Many sufferers rub their eyes to get dry eye relief – unfortunately this does not produce the moisture necessary to relieve the dryness of the eyes. At Eyes First we can still help! A thorough exam will help us evaluate the problem, so we can offer the best dry eye remedy – whether it be drops or medication. 

We help you get the relief you need.

Most people can get welcome relief from dry eye or allergies affecting the eyes with artificial tears, which supplement tear volume. Others are helped by tear lubricants, which enhance the quality of your tears. We may also prescribe a medication to help your body produce more tears. Or you may be a candidate for punctual plugs, which keep tears in the eye for longer durations.

Don’t suffer with dry eye. And don’t let this chronic condition damage your eyesight. Get an accurate diagnosis and the advanced, experienced dry eye treatment you need.

Call 866-EYESFIRST (393-7347) to schedule your appointment today or use our online Request an Appointment form. We serve the communities Bricktown, Eatontown, Hazlet, Long Branch, Manahawkin, Manchester/Lakehurst, Matawan/Old Bridge, Middletown, Red Bank and Toms River in New Jersey.

For additional information on treatments and conditions of the eyes, visit our Optical Library.