Dry Eye Disease is one of the most common frustrations I hear from our patients. In fact, more than 16 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with Dry Eye Disease.
It may surprise you that twice as many women suffer from dry eye compared to men. I’m often asked why this is the case, and there are actually a number of reasons for this.
One of the main contributing factors is the hormonal changes that women go through, starting with the perimenopausal age group and on. These changes can and often do increase the occurrence of dry eye.
Another contributing factor is the makeup that women wear – lash extensions, mascara, and other eye makeup can exacerbate the dry eye or ocular surface irritation.
Additionally, thyroid disease and auto-immune diseases like Sjogren’s and lupus tend to be more common in women, and dry eye is a major symptom of these diseases.
All of these are contributing factors that make dry eye disease more common in women than in men.
At Matossian Eye Associates, we have a number of dry eye treatments we use to help our patients – both men and women – who are experiencing dry eye. These treatments include LipiFlow, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy, the Bruder Mask, Omega 3 supplements and more.
Which treatment option is ideal for you? It actually depends on the root cause of your dry eye. We invite you to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor at Matossian Eye Associates. We will be able to do a number of tests to determine the cause of your dry eye and create a treatment plan specific to your needs. Simply call (800) 708-8800 at your convenience, or click here to request an appointment through our website.
Video Credit: Bullseye Media