Lasting relief for dry, irritated eyes.

Dry eye occurs when your eyes do not make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly because of poor tear quality. Common causes include age, hormonal changes, extended screen use, contact lens wear, certain medications, and meibomian gland dysfunction — a blockage of the oil glands in the eyelids that leads to evaporative dry eye.

It seems backwards, but watery eyes are a classic sign of dry eye. When the eye surface becomes dry and irritated, it triggers a reflex flood of tears. Those reflex tears lack the oil and mucus needed to coat the eye properly, so they spill over instead of relieving the dryness. Treating the underlying dryness usually reduces the watering.

Dry eye can feel like more than just dryness. Common symptoms include:

• Gritty, sandy, or burning sensation
• Stinging or redness
• Watery eyes (reflex tearing)
• Blurry vision that clears when you blink
• Tired eyes, especially at the computer
• Discomfort wearing contact lenses

Yes. A healthy tear film is the first surface light passes through, so when it breaks up too quickly your vision can blur or fluctuate — often clearing briefly when you blink. Blurry vision that comes and goes throughout the day is a common dry eye symptom and a reason to be evaluated.

There is no single best treatment — effective dry eye care is matched to the cause. We tailor a plan that may combine prescription and artificial tears, LipiFlow thermal pulsation for blocked oil glands, PROKERA amniotic tissue to heal the eye surface, and punctal plugs to keep your own tears on the eye longer. Severe or persistent dry eye should be evaluated rather than managed with drops alone.

LipiFlow is an in-office treatment for evaporative dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction. It applies gentle, controlled heat and pulsation to the eyelids to clear blocked oil glands so they can release the oils that keep tears from evaporating too quickly. It targets the underlying cause rather than just the symptoms.

PROKERA is an FDA-cleared treatment that uses amniotic membrane tissue to reduce inflammation and heal the surface of the eye. The tissue is held in a ring that sits on the eye like a contact lens for a few days. It is used for moderate to severe dry eye and other ocular surface conditions; in studies, the large majority of patients reported improvement.

For many patients, yes. Punctal plugs are tiny, painless inserts placed in the eye’s tear drainage openings to keep your natural tears (and any drops) on the eye longer. They can be temporary (dissolving) or longer-lasting, are placed in minutes in the office, and can be removed if needed.

People blink far less while staring at screens, which lets the tear film dry out and triggers dry eye symptoms by mid-afternoon. The "20-20-20" rule helps: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, and blink fully. If screen-related dryness persists, an evaluation can identify whether gland dysfunction is contributing.

Untreated, chronic dry eye can do more than cause discomfort — it can lead to inflammation and damage to the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye) and increase the risk of eye surface infections. The good news is that dry eye is very manageable when evaluated and treated, which is why ongoing symptoms are worth addressing.

Artificial tears help mild, occasional dryness, and preservative-free drops are gentler for frequent use. But drops only soothe symptoms — they do not treat causes like meibomian gland dysfunction. If you rely on drops several times a day or symptoms persist, a tailored treatment plan usually works better than drops alone.

At May Eye Care Center, we treat the cause of dry eye rather than masking it, with evidence-based options including PROKERA amniotic tissue, LipiFlow thermal pulsation, punctal plugs, and customized tear regimens. We build a plan around your specific type of dry eye for patients throughout Hanover, York, Gettysburg, Adams County, and Carroll County, MD.