When should a person come in to see their optometrist for Dry Eye symptoms and when is it enough to take care of this problem yourself?

I recommend yearly eye exams no matter what because of the plethora of non-symptomatic issues that can wreck havoc on vision. If a person is constantly aware of their eyes, blurring of vision in and out, feeling they have to blink a lot to clear vision, and/or symptomatic with burning, itching, gritty, or watery eyes it may be time to talk to your eye care provider ahead of your yearly exam at that point. I recommend talking to your optometrist before using any over the counter or self diagnosing drops either way because there are even certain OTC lubrication drops that are more formulated for one type of dry eye or another and some that can cause more harm than good anyway. Always ask your eye care provider before using any new eye medication to make sure it is what is right for you and how often. There are certain OTC lubricants that only need to be used a certain number of times a day and some that are better for more frequent use.