An evaluation can help you pinpoint best treatments for dry eye, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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People with dry eye tend to try to self-manage for some time, with a range of over the counter products available to them. Lauren Gormley, an optometrist at Johns Hopkins, says many become frustrated and seek help.

Gormley:  By the time you get to a dry eye assessment I may be recommending things in the management that can be more specific over the counter products, a specific artificial tear, it could be ocular hygiene products which are products that keep the eyelids clean and also help to balance the natural bacteria that live by the eyelashes, they could be vitamins, it could be warm compresses or cold compresses depending on what I see. But those recommendations are all going to be specific to the type of dry eye for the specific patient that I see.   :32 

Gormley says aging, workplace utilization of computers and additional screen time, and female sex all increase the chances that you will develop dry eye, but prospects for successful management of the condition are good. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.