Vision Therapy in Great Falls

Spotting the Signs of Dry Eye

(703) 759-0061

Understanding the Symptoms

Dry eye is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide, and its symptoms can vary in severity. It's crucial to recognize the signs of dry eye early to seek appropriate treatment and improve your eye health and comfort.

man with sore eyes


Common Symptoms to Look Out For

woman with red eyes

Experiencing dry eye symptoms can greatly affect your daily life and overall health. These symptoms can disrupt your work, hobbies, and even your ability to carry out everyday tasks comfortably.

The constant discomfort and distraction caused by these symptoms can lower your productivity and overall quality of life. 

Here are common signs that may indicate dry eye syndrome:

  • Dryness:
    A persistent sensation of dryness, grittiness, or eye irritation.
  • Itching:
    Frequent itching or a burning sensation in and around the eyes.
  • Redness:
    Bloodshot or red eyes, often accompanied by discomfort.·
  • Excessive Tearing:
    Paradoxically, your eyes may produce more tears as a response to dryness, leading to watery eyes.
  • Blurry Vision:
    Vision may become temporarily blurred, particularly when reading or using digital screens.
  • Light Sensitivity:
    Increased sensitivity to light, known as photophobia.
  • Foreign Body Sensation:
    Feeling as though something is in your eye.
  • Eye Fatigue:
    Increased eye fatigue, especially during prolonged periods of reading, screen time, or other visually demanding tasks.

Ignoring dry eye symptoms can lead to worsening discomfort and potential complications. Chronic dry eye can damage the eye's surface and increase the risk of eye infections, scarring, and vision loss. Seeking professional guidance if you're experiencing any of these symptoms is crucial.


Dry Eye Diagnosis and Expert Care

When you choose Great Falls Eyecare for your dry eye care, you benefit from our expertise in comprehensive diagnosis. We understand that your unique health history and lifestyle can affect your dry eye differently, which is why we practice personalized care tailored to you. Our approach includes:

  • In-Depth Eye Exams

    During a comprehensive eye exam, we evaluate your eyelids, eye surface, and your complete health history and lifestyle to identify potential underlying causes of dry eyes.

  • Tear Assessment

    We conduct a detailed assessment of your tears, measuring their volume and quality. This assessment helps us identify any deficiencies in tear quantity or quality, crucial factors in dry eye diagnosis.

  • Tear Breakup Time

    Using advanced techniques like tear breakup time measurement, we identify specific areas of your eyes where tears may evaporate more rapidly. This information aids in tailoring your treatment plan.

  • Specialized Dry Eye Test: Schirmer Test

    This test involves placing blotting test paper strips on the lower eyelids to measure tear production over a specific time. It helps determine the volume of tears your eyes produce.

Patient Reviews
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115 Reviews
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- Nov. 06, 2024
Great Falls Eye Care is the best eye care practice. Doctor RUNKE and staff are the best professional... s and provide a positive friendly atmosphere throughout the medical experience. Doctor Kristen RUNKE has provided my eye care for over 30 years. She is simply the very best!
- Oct. 15, 2024
Dr. Anderson is great, recommend her 100%
- Jun. 20, 2024
Dr. Runke is great! Highly recommend!
- Jun. 14, 2024
Dr. Runke is thorough with a gentle nature symbiotically merging historical experiences with predict... ive analytics.
- Mar. 26, 2024
Dr. Runke provided a thorough eye exam as always. Staff are friendly and helpful. I highly recommend... Dr. Runke and Great Falls Eyecare!
- Feb. 21, 2024
My wife and I have been at this Great Falls eye are for over 20 years. Wonderful staff, they are fri... endly and knowledgeable. This eye care is very clean and has a variety of glasses to choose, I would recommend to anyone who needs an eye care.
- Feb. 06, 2024
I have received top quality eye care at Great Falls Eyecare for over 10 years now! The doctors are ... expert and professional, listen to you and very patiently answer your questions. I highly recommend this practice!
- Jan. 06, 2024
Thank you Dr. Runke for great service I received from you and staff.
- Jan. 05, 2024
Great staff and the doctors are friendly and informative. If you have questions they answer them unt... il you have no more and they give it to you straight.
- Dec. 29, 2023
Incredibly friendly and welcoming staff - Dr. Runke even sent a personalized thank you card. Incredi... bly thoughtful and great service.
- Dec. 20, 2023
I am very happy to have landed an appointment with Dr. Runke. All testing and results were thoroughl... y explained.
- Dec. 03, 2023
Professional, courageous and great service
- Oct. 25, 2023
I have been seeing Dr. Runke for several years. I really enjoy working with the whole team at Great ... Falls Eyecare. Dr. Runke has so much expertise, I feel privileged to have her taking care of my eyes.
- Oct. 24, 2023
Dr. Runke was attentive and competent. She conducted a thorough exam and provided new eyeglass presc... riptions for which the glasses are being made .i recommend Great falls highly.
- Oct. 21, 2023
Dr. Runke is a wonderful optometrist who takes the time to really understand your needs. Up todate t... ecnology and a comprehensive exam. She is far superior to my previous optometrist. The staff is also lovely - warm and professional. I highly recommend this practice.
- Oct. 21, 2023
I had a great experience with the team at Great Falls Eye Care. From the moment I walked in to the m... oment I left, everyone was professional, kind, and helpful. I can't wait to get my new glasses, and I'll definitely be a repeat customer.
- Oct. 18, 2023
Perfection.
- Oct. 11, 2023
Wonderful eye care practice! Thorough exams, prescribed a brilliant prescription so that I can see f... ar and read without readers. So thankful and grateful!
- Sep. 23, 2023
Excellent service and staff! Doctors are very patient explaining you in detail what is going on and... any question you have . Thank you very much Great Falls Eye Center!
- Aug. 20, 2023
Dr. Anderson, Jodi, and the receptionists were all great in every aspect! Best experience I've had a... t an optometrist.

View All 115 Reviews

Dry Eyes in Great Falls

Our optometry practice in Great Falls

Photograph of Lisa  Anderson
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Thursday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • Saturday Please call office for hours.
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • Medicare Part B
  • United Healthcare
  • VSP

man putting eye drops in eyes

Consult Our Dry Eye Experts

At Great Falls Eyecare, our experienced eye care specialists are ready to help you find relief from dry eye symptoms. We understand these symptoms' impact on your daily life and are committed to improving your eye health and comfort.

Contact us to schedule an appointment and discuss your dry eye symptoms. Let's work together to find the most suitable treatment and enhance your quality of life.

(703) 759-0061