“It started out as mild irritation and discomfort in my left eye,” dry eye sufferer Randy Hedlund said. “I thought it would get better on its own.” Then his symptoms shifted, going from bad to worse. Vision in Randy’s left eye became blurry, and he felt even more pain. He eventually made an appointment with VSP network doctor Jennifer Wademan. “She said, ‘Randy, your eye looks like a rough and gritty piece of sandpaper.’ That’s how severe my dry eye was.” Turns out, he was suffering from an infection caused by dry eye.

“When Randy first came to see me, my initial concern was clearing up the infection and alleviating his pain before we could tackle any other possible underlying issues going on with his eyes,” said Dr. Wademan. After the visit and some prescribed antibiotics, Randy’s pain symptoms dissipated, but vision in his left eye hadn’t improved. The two began peeling back the layers in an attempt to discover the underlying cause. They initially ruled out some bigger diagnoses like diabetes and retina issues. “But when I saw the results of his imaging, I knew the culprit was dry eye,” continued Dr. Wademan.

“It was astounding to learn that the issues I was dealing with were hiding behind dry eye,” said Hedlund. “That’s how sneaky dry eye is.”