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.


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
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Davis Vision
  • Medicaid
  • Avesis
  • Anthem
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • EyeMed
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife
  • Advantage Care

Patient Reviews
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343 Reviews
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- Apr. 12, 2024
I write this review because of Dr. Cinalli. Very friendly, informative, precise, and gives you opti... ons as the patient. I highly recommend. Jessica at the front desk is also amazingly helpful. Thank you!
- Apr. 11, 2024
They make u feel like family. I love the vibe there very clean and dr cenali is such a great guy
- Apr. 08, 2024
Dr. Lewis and the entire Alvernon Optical team were terrific!
- Apr. 07, 2024
Great experience, Dr. Jeffrey Lewis and his staff is amazing. A great shout out to Laura she's awes... ome.
- Apr. 04, 2024
Excellent staff, including Dr. Fuhr, was cordial and friendly as well as able and efficient.
- Mar. 19, 2024
We had a great experience at Alvernon Optical. The staff was friendly, and prompt. The Dr was very t... horough and knowledgeable. Our glasses arrived and we were notified promptly and did not require additional adjustments; a first for us.
- Mar. 16, 2024
The eye doctors they’re great service, and the ladies at work there they are great specially the o... ne that took care of me her name is Laura. She was kind respectable gave me the service that I needed. Love you guys see you next year
- Feb. 29, 2024
The staff is so friendly and Dr. Fuhr is fantastic. He really cared about my vision needs, was extre... mely accommodating and was very knowledgeable when it came to answering my questions. Thank you!
- Feb. 21, 2024
All of the people at Alvernon Optical are very attentive and very polite and helpful.
- Feb. 13, 2024
Always a great experience with Alvernon Optical. Staff and docs are always so caring and professiona... l. Great selection of contacts and glasses, plus super fast service!
- Feb. 09, 2024
Great staff, high level of excellence demonstrated!
- Feb. 02, 2024
The frame options are nice and comfy.
- Dec. 26, 2023
Extremely kind and courteous. They were also very efficient, I was in and out of there within about ... 40 minutes for an eye exam and to choose some new frames!! Really patient and informative and made sure to explain all my options and what my insurance covered. Couldn't recommend them enough.
- Dec. 13, 2023
Excellent staff and Dr's. Very friendly & professional. Don't change anything, keep doing what you'r... e doing
- Nov. 07, 2023
Dr. Paul Cinalli is experienced, knowledgeable and friendly. I had an easy and nonstressful experien... ce. He also gives a tremendous amount of feedback concerning your eyes.
- Oct. 31, 2023
They work with a lot of insurances. They are kind and patient and do a great job of explaining compl... icated material.
- Oct. 10, 2023
My new prescription matches my eyesight perfectly (thank you, Dr Cinalli!) and I love my new glasses... (thank you, Myranda, for helping me choose frames). I highly recommend Alvernon Optical!
- Sep. 16, 2023
I'll be going there for the rest of my life, they very good...
- Sep. 13, 2023
Wow...Fantastic experience all the way around today. The person whom greeted me and conducted the i... nitial tests, Dr. Laura S. was great and the person whom helped me with my glasses (forgot her name... 🙁 ). I'll keep coming back!!
- Sep. 04, 2023
Amazing place! Very friendly staff.

View All 343 Reviews


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