Tel: 0121 707 9733
What is dry eye?
What causes dry eyes?
What can I do about it?
Dry eye is a common condition that may be caused because your eyes do not produce enough tears or that evaporate too quickly or do not spread evenly across the front of your eye. Symptoms of dry eyes are normally present in both eyes. Dry eyes can make your eyes feel scratchy or irritated. In severe case of dry eyes, your vision can be blurred temporarily. People with dry eyes normally feel uncomfortable but it rarely causes serious eye problems.
There are a number of causes of dry eye. Some drugs or health conditions can cause dry eyes. For example, changes in hormone levels in women during menopause or pregnancy or while using contraceptive pills can also cause dry eyes. Some environmental factors, high temperature, central heating, air conditioning may increase the tear evaporation and make your eyes feel drier.
At New Image Opticians, we carry out specific tests to find out what is causing dry eyes and then we can give you advice on how to manage this eye condition. If you are suffering from symptoms of dry eyes, we would recommend that you attend one of our dry eye clinics.
Dry Eye Clinic
How do I book for my dry eyes assessment?
FAQs
Dry eye clinic has been designed to investigate in detail the cause(s) of dry eyes and management plan. You need to fill in a questionnaire before we can assess the eyes.
If you wear contact lenses, please leave them out for the appointment, but bring them with you, as we may need to assess the fitting. If you feel dry eyes may be directly linked to contact lens wear, we would advise that you have your contact lens assessment first for a full contact lens check up before attending the dry eye clinic.
Appointments for dry eyes last about an hour as we need to carry out specific tests for proper investigation of dry eyes. The results of these specific tests help us to establish the cause and severity of dry eyes so we can suggest possible solution(s) for the management of your dry eyes. As a part of our investigation, we will discuss the analysis of your questionnaire. We will take a detailed record of your history and symptoms, your general health, and discuss lifestyle and occupational factors. At the end of your appointment, you will get comprehensive advice about how to treat dry eyes. This could include lifestyle changes and treatments that will allow you to manage your dry eye condition with the minimum of inconvenience, and cost.
Please contact our practice on 0121 707 9733 or send an email to newimageopticians@aol.com
and someone will call you back to book an appointment Things to remember for your first appointment: 1. If you wear contact lenses, bring them with you, but do not wear them on the day. 2. Bring your spectacles, if worn. 3. A full list of any medication you are taking. 4. Any products you may be using in or near your eyes, e.g. Contact lens solutions or hay fever drops. 5. Wear any eye makeup as you would normally, and bring it with you, in case it needs “repair” afterwards.
How many visits will I need to make?
In most cases, we find a satisfactory treatment regime at your first visit. In some cases, we may need to try alternatives. We advise a follow up appointment three to six months after the first appointment, depending on the condition. Subsequent visit(s) need less time as we have most of the information in place from previous visit(s).
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Does NHS England pay for dry eye investigation/ treatment?
Unfortunately, NHS England does not provide any financial assistance with extra tests that we need to carry out for our investigation of dry eyes so patient has to pay for the appointment and treatment regime.
How much does it cost?
The fee for the first visit is £89. This includes all the tests and any drops you may need for your dry eyes. Follow up appointments are £40 within twelve months.
Does it hurt to carry out procedures?
It does not hurt your eyes to carry out our thorough investigation in relation to dry eyes. We might need to put some eye drops or/and a dye but they are not painful. We might need to clean your lids/lashes with our special equipment but again it does not hurt your eye. None of the eye drops we use will affect your vision.