Dry Eye Clinic in Amherst, Avon & North Ridgeville
If your eyes constantly feel dry, gritty, or like they’re overproducing tears, it’s not something you just have to live with. At North Coast Eye Care, we take dry eye seriously. Our team uses advanced diagnostic tools to find out why your eyes are dry.
From manual gland expression to punctal plugs and amniotic membrane therapy, we offer real solutions that bring real relief. With convenient locations across Lorain County, our dry eye clinic can help you start feeling better for good.
What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Dry eye happens when your eyes don’t produce enough quality tears to stay properly lubricated. Healthy tears have a perfect balance of oil, water, and mucus. If any part of that mix is off, it can cause burning, stinging, redness, or that constant “something’s in my eye” feeling.
There are two main types of dry eye:
- Evaporative dry eye—when your tears dry out too quickly due to poor oil production (usually caused by blocked meibomian glands).
- Aqueous deficiency—when your eyes don’t make enough tears in the first place.
Dry eye can be triggered by a variety of factors, including screen time, contact lens use, age, hormonal changes, certain medications, autoimmune conditions, or even living in Ohio’s windy winters.
Common Dry Eye Symptoms
Symptoms can show up in different ways, and they’re not always what you’d expect. If any of these sound familiar, your eyes might be telling you they need some attention:
- Stinging, burning, or scratchy sensation
- A gritty or “sand in the eye” feeling
- Redness or irritation, especially at the end of the day
- Blurry vision that comes and goes
- Sensitivity to wind, light, or dry air
- Watery eyes (yes, too many tears can actually be a sign of dryness!)
- Frequent use of artificial tears or eye drops
If you're using eye drops more than once a day, it's time to look beyond temporary fixes. Our eye doctors can pinpoint what’s causing your symptoms and treat it at the source.
Diagnosing Dry Eye at North Coast Eye Care
Dry eye isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is our approach. We go beyond the basic “how do your eyes feel today?” routine. Our dry eye evaluations use advanced tools to uncover why your eyes are dry so that we can treat the root cause. Here’s what we may use during your dry eye assessment:
- Tear film evaluation: We check the quality, quantity, and stability of your tears.
- Meibomian gland analysis: To see if oil glands in your eyelids are blocked (a major cause of dry eye).
- Tear breakup time testing: To measure how quickly your tears evaporate.
- Anterior segment imaging: High-resolution photos of the front of your eye help us spot inflammation or surface damage.
These tools help us create a personalized care plan—no guesswork, no over-the-counter trial and error.
Dry Eye Treatments in Lorain County
Once we identify the cause of your dry eye, we’ll create a personalized eye treatment plan to help you feel better. Here’s a look at what we use to treat dry eye at North Coast Eye Care:
Manual Gland Expression
Sometimes the oil glands in your eyelids (meibomian glands) get clogged, and when that happens, your tears evaporate too fast. We use a gentle, in-office procedure to manually express these glands, which helps restore proper tear function.
Punctal Plugs
If your tears aren’t sticking around long enough, we may recommend punctal plugs—tiny inserts that go into your tear ducts to help keep natural moisture on the surface of your eyes longer.
Amniotic Membranes
For more advanced or chronic cases, amniotic membrane therapy helps the surface of the eye heal. These sterile, natural membranes contain anti-inflammatory and healing properties that encourage regeneration, particularly if your cornea is inflamed or damaged due to long-term dryness.
Prescription Drops & Optase® Products
We may recommend prescription eye drops like Restasis® or Xiidra® to help reduce inflammation and improve tear production. We also offer trusted over-the-counter support with Optase®—a high-quality line of lubricating drops, heat masks, and lid scrubs.
Why Choose Our Dry Eye Clinic?
Most people with dry eyes get handed a bottle of drops and sent on their way. Not here.
At North Coast Eye Care, we take a medical, personalized approach to dry eye care. That means getting to the root cause and building a treatment plan around you. Whether you’re dealing with screen-time strain, age-related dryness, or long-term irritation that persists, we’ll help you find a solution.
Here’s what makes our Dry Eye Clinic different:
- In-depth evaluations—no guesswork, no one-size-fits-all fixes.
- Advanced tools and treatments, including punctal plugs, manual expression, and amniotic membranes.
- Real doctor-patient relationships—not just “grab drops and go”.
- Local, consistent care available at all three of our Lorain County locations.
If you’ve been brushing off your symptoms or stuck cycling through over-the-counter drops with no relief, it’s time for a better plan.
Let’s Help You Feel Better
If your eyes are constantly dry, irritated, or just not feeling right, don’t ignore it. Relief is possible, and it starts with a proper diagnosis and a care plan that’s built around you.
Our dry eye specialists are here to help you finally get some answers. Schedule your visit at our Amherst, Avon, or North Ridgeville office and let’s get you back to feeling comfortable, clear, and in control.
