Issue 16.16
Do you like puzzles? My family does. I remember at a young age seeing puzzles out every time we visited my great grandparent’s home. My grandma was the same way and so is my mom. But, have you ever put a puzzle together only to find that there is one piece missing? This isn’t an unusual occurrence for my family. Someone might sneak a puzzle piece in their pocket so they could be the one to put the last piece in. But this time was different.
This time my mom had decided to do the biggest puzzle she had ever started. 4,000 pieces! It was so large that she set it up on the ping pong table, which us kids weren’t happy about. But our attitude changed and we found ourselves working on a huge puzzle. In fact, we even got help from some of our friends. We all pitched in, finding a piece here and a piece there. Gradually this massive puzzle came together. It took about 6 months to finish. It was fun to see the progress. However, when we got to the end we were missing a piece! We were sad that after all that time and work we were left with an incomplete puzzle. Everyone was accused of taking that piece to claim their triumph of putting in the last piece, but this time no one had. We looked everywhere for the missing piece and couldn’t find it.
So, my mom came up with a plan. She decided to paint the missing piece! And she did an incredible job! This project had become such a treasure of work that she glued the puzzle together and hung it on our wall. When our friends would come over we would challenge them to find the “missing piece”. It was not an easy piece to find. But if you looked close enough you could see it.
So, why the puzzle story? People frequently ask me if I enjoy my job. I will often explain that every patient is like a puzzle. Some puzzles are harder than others. And finding the “missing piece” to help someone’s vision or eye health is very enjoyable. Everyone’s eyes are different. Take Dry Eye for instance. Treatments like artificial tears or Restsais work well for some but not for others. Some people do great with punctal plugs or sleep masks while others don’t. Finding the right solution for each patient can be a challenge but when we find the missing piece that works for them it is very satisfying to me and to my patients.
Here is some technical information about dry eyes. Dry Eye is most often due to poor quality oil secretions that protect the eye between blinks, and less often due to a insufficient water production. Regardless of the cause, this condition is called “Dry Eye” because of the dry, burny, gritty feeling associated with poor quality tears.
The causes of Dry Eye Syndrome include age, environmental irritants, incomplete blinking, sleeping with the eyes slightly open, lifestyle, medical conditions, medications and inflammation of the tear producing glands.
Treating dry eye is important for your eye health and comfort. The tear film lubricates, fights infection, provides nourishment, removes metabolic and environmental waste, and provides a smooth optical surface so you can focus properly.
There is no real “cure” for dry eye, but there are some treatments beyond artificial tears. Some treatments help by addressing inflammation or restoring function to the oil producing glands, like FDA approved LipiFlow.
If you experience sandy, gritty, burny, watery eyes, or have transient blur that changes when you blink, ask your eye doctor about Dry Eye Syndrome. Relief is available today.
Michelle is our Dry Eye Coordinator and can help explain more about what we do. Our office is called SOUTHWEST VISION and it is at 965 East 700 South in St. George, two blocks west of Harmon’s Grocery Store. Our phone number is 435-673-5577. Call Michelle today for an appointment. We can help you.