subject: Lasik Eye Surgery And Dry Eyes [print this page] Many people who are dependent on eyeglasses will have laser eye surgery, also known as LASIK eye surgery. The surgery is actually a very quick procedure with very low risks. In addition, these days, it is done at an affordable price. However, the problem that many people have after undergoing LASIK eye surgery is that they develop a side effect known as dry eyes.
While LASIK eye surgery does in fact help to improve your eyesight and help you in the long-term, the way it works is by burning nerve endings in the cornea. Once they have suffered damage, they do not always act in the typical manner in which that they normally function. One of the primary functions of these nerve endings is that they tell your brain when the surface of your eye is dry.
Blinking is a reflex action that involves the nerves in our eyes telling our brain that the eyelids need to shut to help keep the eye moist. Likewise, nerve endings in eyes that are dry will often tell the brain to produce many more tears than necessary. Thus, while dry eyes make you think that you literally have dry eyes, you might also have excessively watery eyes that feel itchy and scratchy.
Most doctors, who perform the LASIK eye surgery, will recommend that you use some form of artificial tears to fight the symptoms of dry eyes. It is common to feel the need to use them every hour or two in the first few weeks after the surgery. If you are suffering from dry eyes and eye drops do not seem to be helping, you should go back to your doctor for some prescription eye drops that will include anti-inflammatory medication as well. Typically, this will be much stronger and certainly more effective than over the counter artificial tears.
The most important thing to do if you are having any form of discomfort is to ensure that your doctor performs a post-operative evaluation. Your doctor will be able to look at your eyes and determine if you are having additional side effects from dry eyes that need special care.
Usually, no one has long lasting problems with dry eyes, but some people do need more attention than others do. In recent research studies, it has been revealed that women often have harsher symptoms of dry eyes than men do. Dry eyes are not something you should ignore and get through. After all, it is a treatable condition.
