Vision Therapy in Tucson

Spotting the Signs of Dry Eye

(520) 327-6211

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 Alvernon Optical - Alvernon & 5th 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
4.8
460 Reviews
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- Aug. 14, 2025
Great place! The staff is always so nice and so helpful!
- Aug. 02, 2025
Friendly, efficient service
- Jul. 31, 2025
Responsive, concerned, optometrist. Excellent service fitting glasses. Very open to questions and co... ncerns
- Jul. 30, 2025
Been going here for couple years and highly recommend, staff and providers are wonderful!
- Jul. 23, 2025
I'm a long time client and have always been satisfied with alvernon optical and Dr cinnally specific... ally. I would highly recommend this establishment due to their attentiveness and priority in making sure your needs are met. They also price match and will work with you on prices at least on contacts from my experience. They also have a wide selection of designer frames with reasonable prices. Go check em out! You won't be disappointed.
- Jul. 18, 2025
From the arrival and filling out the paperwork, the pre exam, the actual exam with Dr. Rosen, select... ion of the glasses, and finally pickup of the glasses, I found the entire experience to be excellent. I will definitely be back!
- Jul. 12, 2025
This place has been in Tucson since the 1960's They have superior customer service and services are ... state of the art they can handle all of your vision needs easily available appointments on line and over the phone
- Jul. 04, 2025
Everything was great.
- Jun. 21, 2025
Dr. Jeff was very thorough in his exam and answered questions. Staff was friendly and made appointme... nt time efficient
- Jun. 12, 2025
Love this place and the staff are awesome!
- Jun. 09, 2025
I had a pleasant experience at Alvernon Optical. The staff and doctor were very friendly and profess... ional. Definitely recommend this business.
- Jun. 01, 2025
I can't tell you how happy I am that Dr. Lewis is over at Alvernon Optical. He is one of the best op... tometrists I have ever seen, and the staff is so friendly and helpful.
- May. 19, 2025
Dr. Lewis is thorough, knowledgeable and caring. The office area is clean and pleasant and the staff... efficient, friendly and helpful. I was quite pleased with my experience there.
- Apr. 05, 2025
Dr. Jeffery Lewis has given me and my family excellent serive and attention over many years.
- Apr. 05, 2025
They were awesome everyone was awesome very nice and very helpful.
- Mar. 23, 2025
Clean and organized store customer service is always friendly and attentive.
- Mar. 14, 2025
These guys are great, I’ve been going here for years for my annual eye exams. They are also very h... elpful if you need to schedule something sooner. Dr. Jones and Dr. Cinalli are very knowledgeable. The receptionists really care, the lady who checks the eye pressure is so nice, I love her. I also have had really good experiences with the eyeglass-fitting staff. I recommend doing the Opto-Map as well, even if you have healthy eyes now, a baseline is SO important down the line if anything changes!
- Feb. 13, 2025
Very friendly staff. Dr. Lewis is great!
- Feb. 04, 2025
Awesome experience! I usually use Costco optical, but they have gone down the toilet! Yea you save a... few bucks, but it’s a Walmart in disguise!!
- Jan. 16, 2025
I love the staff and the facility is alway clean organized and inviting.

View All 460 Reviews

Dry Eyes in Tucson

Our optometry practice in Tucson

Photograph of Mark  Fischer
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
  • Sunday Closed
  • Sep. 01 Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Davis Vision
  • Medicaid
  • Avesis
  • Anthem
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • EyeMed
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife
  • Advantage Care

man putting eye drops in eyes

Consult Our Dry Eye Experts

At Alvernon Optical - Alvernon & 5th, 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.

(520) 327-6211