Understanding the Symptoms
Spotting the Signs of Dry Eye
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.
Common Symptoms to Look Out For
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 Durham Family Eye Care 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
4.6
115 Reviews
New M. - Jul 20, 2026
What a great place when they tell you that they are going to take care of something
THEY DO !!!
Lori L. - Jul 11, 2026
I am so happy to be back at Durham Family Eye Care after 10 years! I had originally started going el... Show Moresewhere because my previous insurance wasn’t accepted, but this year I have new insurance that they do accept, and I’m so glad I returned.
To make matters worse, I showed up feeling like the worst patient ever—I forgot my insurance information, forgot my glasses, and even forgot my prescription! The receptionist couldn’t have been kinder. She was able to verify my insurance for me and immediately put me at ease.
Dr. Sites was wonderful. She was incredibly kind, thorough, and took the time to answer my questions. The exam was much more comprehensive than the office I had been going to in Middletown, where I always felt rushed. At Durham Family Eye Care, I never felt like they were trying to hurry me along.
I don’t remember everyone’s names, but every staff member I interacted with was professional, patient, and genuinely friendly. When it came time to pick out glasses, they took the time to help me find frames that actually complemented my face instead of just pointing me toward a display.
I also received trial contact lenses to wear for a week before my follow-up visit, which I really appreciated. On top of that, they offer 50% off glasses when you purchase your contact lenses, which seems like an amazing value.
From start to finish, the entire experience exceeded my expectations. The level of customer service, attention to detail, and genuine care for their patients is outstanding. I highly recommend Durham Family Eye Care!
Dry Eyes in Durham
Hours Show More
- Monday 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Tuesday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Wednesday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Thursday 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans Show More
- VSP
- Medicare
- United Healthcare
- Cigna
- Spectera
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Davis Vision
- EyeMed
- Humana
- Medicaid
- Anthem
- National Vision Administration (NVA)
- UMR
- AARP
- MetLife
- Aetna Medicare
- Aetna
- Blue View Vision
- Optum
- Meritain Health
- Superior Vision
- Cigna Vision
- Guardian
- Oxford
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- FEP Blue Vision
- Premier Eye Care
- WellCare
- BCBS Federal Employee Program
Consult Our Dry Eye Experts
At Durham Family Eye Care, our experienced eye care providers 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.
