Vision Therapy in Ballwin

Spotting the Signs of Dry Eye

(636)-391-1309

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 Crown Vision Center - Ballwin 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
211 Reviews
5
4
3
2
1
- Mar. 23, 2025
Dr. Rackovan and her staff were friendly and caring. My visit was prompt and thorough. I would recom... mend Dr. Rackovan to anyone looking for an eye doctor.
- Mar. 20, 2025
Highly recommend! Friendly and knowledgeable. Dr. doesn't rush the exam and got me the best Rx I've... had in a long time.
- Mar. 17, 2025
Great experience overall! Staff and Dr. Rackovan are amazing and addressed all questions with care. ... Amanda is very kind and knowledgeable, she got me checked in for pre testing and helped find the perfect frames and lenses for me within my budget while making sure it’s what I was looking for with daily wear.
- Mar. 08, 2025
Thanks Cecily and Jamie manager for their exceptional excellent service to make sure my new prescrip... tion bifocal glasses will have no more error on too low focus as last pair from the other location last year and they refused the error to make me wearing it >a year and just would admit on this new pair on previous error pair and over charged me $100 this time than all my previous pairs. I almost walked away from Crown vision permanently, Thank Jamie and Cecily at Ballwin location for your wonderful services and everything u both offered! 😀
- Feb. 09, 2025
They are really nice and friendly
- Jan. 11, 2025
This is the first eye doctor I came to since moving to STL from NC last year. I actually used to wor... k for clarkson eyecare in NC (Eyecarecenter), however my boyfriend had the worst experience at the ballwin location, so I was committed to find a completely different company to go to for my overdue exam / contact change. I came to crown vision as its right nearby my work. I was absolutely blown away by the top notch customer service, how fast they were (but never rushed you!), and how great the doctor was. Everyone was so very friendly, & didn’t push you to choose anything right then & there for their commission like my boyfriend experienced elsewhere. Safe to say he is switching to them as well. Absolutely recommend coming here!
- Jan. 10, 2025
Amanda was very knowledgeable and professional. She made me feel comfortable and helped me select n... ew glasses. She is a great asset to the store.
- Jan. 09, 2025
Staff was warm and helpful
- Jan. 07, 2025
Great service and friendly staff. Large selection of eyeglasses
- Dec. 23, 2024
Great experience!
- Oct. 19, 2024
Great experience with doctor and staff
- Sep. 17, 2024
The staff were friendly and professional, and my glasses were ready in a timely manner. They have a ... large selection of lenses and frames to choose from.
- Aug. 18, 2024
My husband and I both had appointments same day. The staff is very friendly and fun. They are knowle... dgeable and helped me to find the perfect glasses. Thank you!
- Jul. 24, 2024
Always a great time at crown!
- May. 31, 2024
They are so helpful and know exactly what they are doing
- May. 13, 2024
Melissa is excellent there ! Always taking her time to help out and very patient . Always have a ple... asant experience there ! DR. Kara is excellent t as well !
- Mar. 22, 2024
Rebecca was kind and thoughtful. Dr. Kara was efficient and knowledgeable. I had a great experience....
- Mar. 09, 2024
The store was very nice and clean and organized. The staff was friendly and helpful. I was there a t... otal of 30 min which was fantastic because I had a very busy day. They were upfront and knowledgeable about my exam and treatment plan. I loved their glasses selection, it was very easy to pick a new frame. Glasses came in a lot sooner than expected and the quantity seems pretty good so far. I have already recommended them to my family and they now have a lifetime customer.
- Feb. 06, 2024
A beautiful blend of professionalism and warmth. During the comprehensive examination and fitting, ... I was treated like family. I waited to write this until I had some time to take my glasses for a test ride. Like my experience at the center, it's "all good".
- Jan. 31, 2024
Wonderful staff! Customer service skills were amazing!!

View All 211 Reviews

Dry Eyes in Ballwin

Our optometry practice in Ballwin

Photograph of Kara Rackovan
Hours
  • Monday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • Tuesday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Medicaid
  • Anthem
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife

man putting eye drops in eyes

Consult Our Dry Eye Experts

At Crown Vision Center - Ballwin, 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.

(636)-391-1309