Dry eye may seem like a relatively innocuous condition, but for those who live with it, the impact can be debilitating. This is because dry eye can have profound effects on visual acuity, and it often causes uncomfortable and sometimes painful sensations in the eyes, which can make it nearly impossible to focus on day-to-day tasks. Fortunately, relief is possible.
What is Dry Eye?
Dry eye is when the eyes do not produce enough tears (aqueous deficiency) or the tears evaporate too quickly (evaporative). Tears are responsible for proper vision, lubricating the eye surface, cleansing debris, and defending against infections. This insufficient supply of tears can result in significant fluctuations in vision and poor vision. Dry eye also causes painful sensations, such as burning, irritation and itchiness.
What Are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?
Dry eye symptoms are usually uncomfortable, but not dangerous. Symptoms can include:
- Fluctuations in vision
- Poor vision
- A gritty or scratchy sensation
- Stinging or burning
- Redness
- Slightly blurred vision
- The feeling of something in your eye
Experiencing multiple symptoms usually means you are suffering from dry eye. One of our physicians can confirm this for you with a comprehensive eye exam.
What Causes Dry Eye?
There are a number of causes of dry eye. Some of the most common include:
- Environmental Factors
Dry, indoor environments, wind, smoke, and pollution can all contribute to tear evaporation.
- Lifestyle and Habits
Prolonged screen time, insufficient blinking, wearing contact lenses, and other lifestyle choices and habits can reduce tear production and increase evaporation.
- Aging
Tear production tends to naturally decrease with age.
- Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)
This is a condition where the oil-producing glands in the eyelids (meibomian glands) don’t produce enough or the correct quality of oil, leading to tear film instability and dry eye symptoms. Some studies indicate that more than 80% of dry eye is caused by MGD.
- Genetics/Family History
Having a family history of dry eye increases the chances that you will develop the condition yourself.
If you are suffering from dry eye, our physicians will first determine the cause. The key
to proper treatment is a thorough, comprehensive, detailed exam to determine the
reason for the dry eye in each patient. Each patient is different, and treatment must
be customized for each specific case. Many medications are available to treat aqueous
deficient dry eye; however, the majority of dry eye is evaporative. In-office treatments
such as Tear Care, Lipiflow and IPL target evaporative dry eye.
Treatments for Evaporative Dry Eye
Treatments for evaporative dry eye work by changing the consistency of the meibum (oil)
to a less viscous oil. If the oil is too thick, we are prone to clogging of our meibomian
gland canals, causing styes to form. Furthermore, the thick oil will prevent sufficient
amounts of oil from being released. We need a thin, liquid-like oil to be readily secreted
to cover and protect our tear film from evaporating. All of the treatments melt and clear
blockages in the glands and stimulate the glands to produce more and less viscous oil,
resulting in an improved quality of the tear film and a protective oil layer to prevent tear
evaporation.
- LipiFlow
LipiFlow is a thermal pulsation device that concomitantly heats the eyelids to melt the
thickened oil and uses a massage-like pulsation to remove the oil.
LipiFlow treatment takes less than 20 minutes, and most patients see improvement in dryness, itchiness, burning, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light immediately.
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
IPL targets the meibomian glands with controlled light energy. This treatment will not
only make the meibum (oil) less thick, but will also improve skin texture and inflammation.
A single IPL treatment for dry eye typically takes about 10-15 minutes, with a full course of treatment usually consisting of 4-5 sessions spaced 2-6 weeks apart. Many patients will notice a reduction in symptoms after their first session, with further reduction after each successive session. The improvement in facial skin texture can be noticed immediately. The majority of the dry eye improvement occurs after the third and fourth treatments.
- TearCare
Tear Care provides comfortable, precise, localized heat to the meibomian glands
followed by gentle expression of the glands. It is a two part process to help restore
normal tear function.
The Tear Care treatment takes about 30 minutes and is performed by our trained eye
care professionals in a comfortable office setting. Patients often experience an
immediate reduction in dry eye symptoms.
One of our physicians will conduct a thorough examination of your eyes and meibomian glands in order to determine which treatment option is right for you.
To determine what is causing your dry eye and to discuss treatment options, contact us today.