Relief for Dry, Burning, Watery, or Irritated Eyes
Dry eyes can affect far more than comfort. When your tear film is unstable or your eyes are not staying properly lubricated, everyday activities like reading, working on a computer, driving, wearing contact lenses, or spending time outdoors can become frustrating.
At True Eye Center of Keller, we provide dry eye evaluations and treatment guidance for patients in Keller, North Fort Worth, Southlake, Colleyville, Alliance, and surrounding North Texas communities. Dr. Shabree Nichols Caleb and our team take a careful, patient-focused approach to identifying what may be contributing to your symptoms and recommending a plan that supports clearer, more comfortable vision.
What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye is a common eye condition that happens when your eyes do not produce enough quality tears, your tears evaporate too quickly, or your tear film does not keep the surface of the eyes properly protected.
A healthy tear film helps keep the eyes smooth, comfortable, and clear. When the tear film becomes unstable, the eyes may feel dry, gritty, watery, tired, red, or irritated. Some patients also notice fluctuating blurry vision, especially when reading, using screens, driving, or wearing contact lenses.
Dry eye is not always just a “lack of tears.” In many cases, the issue may involve tear quality, eyelid inflammation, oil gland function, environmental triggers, screen use, medication side effects, allergies, or contact lens wear.
Common Symptoms of Dry Eye
Dry eye symptoms can range from mild irritation to daily discomfort. You may benefit from a dry eye evaluation if you experience:
- Burning, stinging, or irritated eyes
- A gritty, sandy, or foreign body sensation
- Watery eyes
- Redness
- Light sensitivity
- Blurry or fluctuating vision
- Eye fatigue
- Stringy mucus around the eyes
- Contact lens discomfort
- Trouble reading or using screens comfortably
- Tired eyes at the end of the day
- Symptoms that worsen in wind, air conditioning, dry air, or while driving
Why Are My Eyes Watering If They Are Dry?
Watery eyes can be a sign of dry eye. When the surface of the eye becomes irritated, the eyes may produce reflex tears. These tears may temporarily flood the eyes, but they often do not have the right balance of oil, water, and mucus to provide lasting comfort.
That is why patients can feel both “watery” and “dry” at the same time.
When Should You Schedule a Dry Eye Exam?
You should schedule a dry eye exam if your symptoms are persistent, recurring, or interfering with your daily life.
A dry eye evaluation is especially important if you have:
- Dryness that does not improve with over-the-counter drops
- Burning or gritty eyes most days
- Blurry vision that comes and goes
- Contact lenses that feel uncomfortable
- Redness or irritation that keeps returning
- Watery eyes without an obvious cause
- Eye discomfort while using computers or phones
- Symptoms that affect driving, reading, or work
- A history of allergies, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, or eye surgery
Occasional dryness may improve with simple changes, but chronic symptoms deserve a closer look. The right treatment plan depends on what is causing the dryness.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eye can develop for many reasons. During your exam, we look for factors that may be affecting your tear film, eyelids, glands, and overall eye surface health.
Common contributors include:
-
Screen Use and Reduced Blinking
People tend to blink less often when using computers, phones, and tablets. Less blinking can allow tears to evaporate more quickly, leading to dryness, eye fatigue, and fluctuating vision.
-
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
The eyelids contain tiny oil glands that help keep tears from evaporating too quickly. When these glands are blocked or not working well, the tear film can become unstable.
-
Contact Lens Wear
Dry eye can make contact lenses feel scratchy, tight, or uncomfortable. In some cases, contact lens discomfort may be related to tear film problems, lens fit, lens material, or underlying inflammation.
-
Allergies and Environmental Irritation
Pollen, dust, smoke, wind, dry air, air conditioning, and seasonal allergies can all worsen irritation and dryness.
-
Medications and Health Conditions
Some medications and health conditions can contribute to dry eye symptoms. Patients with diabetes, autoimmune conditions, hormonal changes, or a history of eye surgery may be more likely to experience dryness.
-
Age and Hormonal Changes
Dry eye becomes more common with age and may be influenced by hormonal changes, especially when tear quantity or oil gland function changes over time.
Dry Eye Evaluation at True Eye Center of Keller
Dry eye treatment starts with understanding the cause. At True Eye Center of Keller, your evaluation may include a detailed review of your symptoms, lifestyle, screen use, contact lens history, medical history, and eye health.
Depending on your symptoms, your dry eye assessment may include:
- Evaluation of the tear film
- Eyelid and oil gland assessment
- Ocular surface health evaluation
- Review of redness, inflammation, or irritation
- Contact lens comfort assessment
- Discussion of environmental and lifestyle triggers
- Review of symptoms related to screen use
- Recommendations based on the likely cause of your dryness
Our goal is to help identify why your eyes feel dry, irritated, watery, or uncomfortable so your care plan can be more targeted.
Dry Eye Treatment Options
Dry eye treatment is not one-size-fits-all. The right plan depends on whether your symptoms are related to tear production, tear evaporation, eyelid inflammation, allergies, screen habits, contact lens wear, or another eye health concern.
Your personalized dry eye care plan may include:
-
Artificial Tears or Lubricating Drops
For mild or occasional symptoms, lubricating eye drops may help support comfort. Some patients may benefit from preservative-free drops, especially if drops are used frequently.
-
Eyelid Hygiene and Warm Compresses
If eyelid inflammation or oil gland blockage is contributing to symptoms, eyelid care and warm compresses may be recommended.
-
Screen and Lifestyle Adjustments
Small changes such as taking screen breaks, improving blink habits, adjusting airflow, staying hydrated, and avoiding direct fan or vent exposure may help reduce symptoms.
-
Contact Lens Adjustments
If contact lenses are uncomfortable, Dr. Caleb may evaluate the fit, material, replacement schedule, wearing time, and whether specialty contact lenses may be appropriate.
-
Prescription Dry Eye Options
Some patients may need prescription treatment to help address inflammation or tear film instability. Dr. Caleb can recommend options based on your exam findings.
-
Tear Conservation or Additional Treatment
For some patients, treatment may focus on helping tears remain on the eye longer or addressing specific eyelid, gland, or surface conditions.
Dry Eye and Contact Lens Discomfort
Contact lens discomfort is one of the most common reasons patients seek dry eye care. If your contacts feel dry, gritty, blurry, or uncomfortable by the end of the day, the issue may not be the lens alone.
Dry eye, tear evaporation, allergies, lens fit, digital eye strain, and oil gland function can all affect contact lens comfort.
At True Eye Center of Keller, we can evaluate whether your discomfort may be related to dry eye and discuss options that may include lens changes, wearing schedule adjustments, dry eye treatment, or specialty contact lens fittings when appropriate.
Dry Eye and Digital Eye Strain
Dry eye and digital eye strain often overlap. When you spend long periods looking at a screen, your blink rate may decrease. This can cause tears to evaporate faster and may lead to tired eyes, burning, blurry vision, or discomfort.
If your eyes feel worse after computer work, phone use, reading, or gaming, a dry eye evaluation can help determine whether your tear film is contributing to your symptoms.
Why Choose True Eye Center of Keller for Dry Eye Care?
Patients choose True Eye Center of Keller because we combine advanced eye care with personal attention. Dr. Shabree Nichols Caleb is a board-certified therapeutic optometrist with experience in medical eye care, disease management, routine eye care, pediatric eye care, diabetic eye care, and specialty contact lens fittings.
Our dry eye care is designed to be:
- Thorough
- Patient-friendly
- Focused on comfort and clarity
- Connected to your daily symptoms
- Supportive of contact lens wearers
- Appropriate for adults, seniors, and screen-heavy patients
- Convenient for Keller, North Fort Worth, Southlake, Colleyville, and Alliance
Serving Keller, North Fort Worth, and Nearby Communities
True Eye Center of Keller serves patients throughout the North Fort Worth corridor, including Keller, North Fort Worth, Southlake, Colleyville, Alliance, Trophy Club, Roanoke, Westlake, Watauga, Haslet, and nearby communities.
The practice is located at 4909 Golden Triangle Blvd, Suite 211, Fort Worth, TX 76244, and the office phone number is 817-428-4488.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dry eye?
Dry eye is a condition where the eyes do not stay properly lubricated. This may happen because the eyes do not produce enough tears, the tears evaporate too quickly, or the tear film does not function well enough to keep the eye surface comfortable.
What are the symptoms of dry eye?
Common dry eye symptoms include burning, stinging, gritty eyes, redness, watering, light sensitivity, blurry vision, eye fatigue, and contact lens discomfort.
Can dry eye cause watery eyes?
Yes. Watery eyes can happen when irritation triggers reflex tearing. These extra tears may not have the right balance to keep the eyes comfortable, so the eyes may still feel dry or irritated.
Can dry eye cause blurry vision?
Yes. Dry eye can cause blurry or fluctuating vision because the tear film helps create a smooth surface for clear vision. When the tear film breaks up, vision may come and go.
Can screen time make dry eye worse?
Yes. Screen use can make dry eye symptoms worse because people tend to blink less often while using computers, phones, and tablets. Less blinking can cause tears to evaporate faster.
Why do my contacts feel dry by the end of the day?
Contact lens discomfort may be related to dry eye, tear evaporation, allergies, lens fit, lens material, or wearing time. A contact lens and dry eye evaluation can help identify the likely cause.
Is dry eye a long-term condition?
For some patients, dry eye can be a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. The right treatment plan depends on the cause and severity of symptoms.
Are over-the-counter drops enough for dry eye?
Over-the-counter lubricating drops may help mild or occasional symptoms. If symptoms are persistent, worsening, or returning frequently, an eye exam can help determine whether additional treatment is needed.
When should I see an eye doctor for dry eye?
You should schedule an eye exam if dryness, burning, watering, redness, blurry vision, or contact lens discomfort happens regularly or interferes with your daily activities.
Does True Eye Center of Keller treat dry eye?
Yes. True Eye Center of Keller provides dry eye evaluations and treatment guidance for patients in Keller, North Fort Worth, Southlake, Colleyville, Alliance, and nearby communities.
Schedule a Dry Eye Evaluation
Dry, burning, watery, or irritated eyes do not have to be something you simply live with. A dry eye evaluation can help identify what may be causing your symptoms and what treatment options may support better comfort.
Schedule your dry eye evaluation with True Eye Center of Keller today.
