- 119 E. Main St. Lewistown, Montana 59457
- (406) 535-2020
If your eyes feel gritty, burning, or tired by the end of the day, you may be dealing with dry eye disease, one of the most common reasons patients visit our office. At Eyecare Associates of Lewistown, we use advanced imaging to identify exactly what’s causing your symptoms and build a treatment plan around your specific needs. Dry eye is manageable, and relief is often closer than you think.
Dry eye disease develops for one of two main reasons. Either your eyes aren’t producing enough tears, or your tears are evaporating too quickly. A healthy tear film depends on three layers working together, the mucin, aqueous, and lipid layers, each playing a different role in keeping your eyes comfortable and clear. When any of these layers is out of balance, your eyes can feel dry, irritated, or blurry, even if you’re still producing tears.
Dry eye can feel like burning, grittiness, or a sensation that something is stuck in your eye. Some patients notice redness, light sensitivity, or vision that seems to blur and clear throughout the day. It may sound surprising, but watery eyes can also be a symptom. When your tear film is unstable, your eyes sometimes overproduce watery tears as a reflex, without actually keeping the surface properly lubricated.
The most common cause is meibomian gland dysfunction, where the glands along your eyelids stop producing enough healthy oil to keep tears from evaporating too fast. Screen time, dry climates, and Montana wind can all make symptoms worse. Dry eye is sometimes linked to underlying health conditions too, including rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and other collagen vascular diseases, so we take your full health history into account during your evaluation.
Dry eye is a chronic condition, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with constant discomfort. Treatment can range from artificial tears and prescription anti-inflammatory drops to in-office procedures that clean and stimulate the meibomian glands directly. We build your treatment plan around the underlying cause of your dry eye, then adjust it over time as your symptoms and needs change. Ready for relief? Call (406) 535-2020 today.
Not quite. Occasional dryness can happen to anyone, but dry eye disease is an ongoing condition involving your tear film or eyelid glands. It typically needs a diagnosis and an ongoing treatment plan rather than occasional relief drops.
Watery eyes can actually be a sign of dry eye disease. When your tear film is unstable, your eyes can overproduce watery tears as a reflex, even though the surface isn’t properly lubricated.
Dry eye is generally considered a chronic condition, meaning it’s managed rather than cured. With the right combination of treatment, most patients see significant and lasting improvement in their comfort.
It’s a common cause of dry eye where the oil-producing glands along your eyelids don’t function properly, causing your tears to evaporate faster than they should. It’s often treatable with in-office procedures and consistent eyelid care.
It depends on the cause and severity of your symptoms. Some patients do well with artificial tears alone, while others need prescription drops or in-office treatment. An evaluation helps determine what’s needed for lasting relief.