Dry Eye
Are you using eye drops for dry eyes? Are you fed up with uncomfortable, itchy eyes?
We offer many treatment options for dry eye Syndrome including IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy
What is Dry Eye?
Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision. They are critical for lubrication, cleansing, and protection. Healthy eyes are continually bathed by tears produced by a combination of three glands located above the eyes and within the eyelids. Sometimes a person has a decrease in tear production, or the tears produced are of poor quality.
Evaporative Dry Eye: The most common type of dry eye, evaporative dry eye, is caused by a lipid (oil) deficiency resulting from a blockage of the meibomian glands.
Your tear film, made up of the lipids, aqueous, and mucin layers, is protected against evaporation by meibum, an oily substance found in the meibomian glands around the rims of your eyelids.
When these glands are blocked or dysfunctional, your tears evaporate too quickly (between four and sixteen times faster than normal).
Aqueous deficient dry eye occurs when the lacrimal glands (located above the lateral end of your eye) do not create enough moisture to keep your eyes moist.
Symptoms of Dry Eye
Symptoms of dry eye can be very uncomfortable and make simple tasks such as reading, using a computer, driving, and watching television strenuous and painful.
If you experience one of the following symptoms, it is important that you contact us as soon as possible to determine whether you have dry eye syndrome:
Other symptoms of Dry Eye can include:
Blurry vision | Excessive tearing / watery eyes | Gritty / sandy / scratchy feeling | Foreign body sensation (feeling like something is always in eye) | Eye pain or discomfort | Tired eyes / eye fatigue | Stringy mucus in or around the eyes | Eyes tough to open in the morning | Contact lenses discomfort | It’s tough to remove contact lenses at the end of the day | Excessive eye irritation in windy, smoky, or low humidity conditions
Treatment Options for Dry Eye
Since there are many causes for dry eye, there are many treatment options available. Often those suffering from dry eyes will try over the counter drops and ointments. These often provide temporary relief and can be effective for those with allergies.
However, if the irritation and pain associated with dry eyes does not improve, medical intervention is likely necessary to alleviate the symptoms. There are effective prescription medications available including Restasis. When taken regularly this can improve tear production and reduce dry eye symptoms.
There are also several advanced in-office treatments available, including:
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Therapy – This advanced treatment uses powerful bursts of light at specific wavelengths to reduce inflammation of the lower eyelid causing dry eye. This is a great procedure for these who have not experienced relief from other treatments. See: Photo Facial
We offer many treatment options for dry eye Syndrome including IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy
What is Dry Eye?
Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision. They are critical for lubrication, cleansing, and protection. Healthy eyes are continually bathed by tears produced by a combination of three glands located above the eyes and within the eyelids. Sometimes a person has a decrease in tear production, or the tears produced are of poor quality.
Evaporative Dry Eye: The most common type of dry eye, evaporative dry eye, is caused by a lipid (oil) deficiency resulting from a blockage of the meibomian glands.
Your tear film, made up of the lipids, aqueous, and mucin layers, is protected against evaporation by meibum, an oily substance found in the meibomian glands around the rims of your eyelids.
When these glands are blocked or dysfunctional, your tears evaporate too quickly (between four and sixteen times faster than normal).
Aqueous deficient dry eye occurs when the lacrimal glands (located above the lateral end of your eye) do not create enough moisture to keep your eyes moist.
Symptoms of Dry Eye
Symptoms of dry eye can be very uncomfortable and make simple tasks such as reading, using a computer, driving, and watching television strenuous and painful.
If you experience one of the following symptoms, it is important that you contact us as soon as possible to determine whether you have dry eye syndrome:
- Dryness
- Discomfort and irritation
- Tearing
- Redness
- Itching
- Sensitivity to light
- Vision disturbance
- Burning or stinging
Other symptoms of Dry Eye can include:
Blurry vision | Excessive tearing / watery eyes | Gritty / sandy / scratchy feeling | Foreign body sensation (feeling like something is always in eye) | Eye pain or discomfort | Tired eyes / eye fatigue | Stringy mucus in or around the eyes | Eyes tough to open in the morning | Contact lenses discomfort | It’s tough to remove contact lenses at the end of the day | Excessive eye irritation in windy, smoky, or low humidity conditions
Treatment Options for Dry Eye
Since there are many causes for dry eye, there are many treatment options available. Often those suffering from dry eyes will try over the counter drops and ointments. These often provide temporary relief and can be effective for those with allergies.
However, if the irritation and pain associated with dry eyes does not improve, medical intervention is likely necessary to alleviate the symptoms. There are effective prescription medications available including Restasis. When taken regularly this can improve tear production and reduce dry eye symptoms.
There are also several advanced in-office treatments available, including:
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Therapy – This advanced treatment uses powerful bursts of light at specific wavelengths to reduce inflammation of the lower eyelid causing dry eye. This is a great procedure for these who have not experienced relief from other treatments. See: Photo Facial