Recent studies estimate that nearly 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from dry eye disease (DED). Dry eyes are common, chronic, and can lead to eye itching and discomfort, and changes or decrease in vision. Our eyes need normal tears to stay healthy and comfortable. DED is a condition where we do not produce enough tears, or we do not produce good quality tears to properly lubricate one or both eyes.
Symptoms of dry eye may include:
Red, itchy or irritated eyes
Burning, stinging, or tired feeling eyes
Gritty feeling eyes, as if there is something stuck in your eye
Intermittent blurring of vision (that may improve or change with blinking) or consistent blurry, decreased vision
Crusting or mucous in or around the eyes
A feeling of heavy eyelids or eyelids feeling stuck in the morning
Tearing (feeling like you always have to wipe your eyes)
Discomfort with contact lens use
Light sensitivity
Contributors to dry eye may include:
Hormonal changes
Eyelid conditions such as blepharitis/meibomian gland disease (inflamed, red, crusty or flaky eyelids) and entropion (eyelid turning in) or ectropion (eyelid turning out)
Ocular conditions such as eye allergies or prolonged contact lens wear
Environmental triggers such as smoke, wind, dry climate, air conditioning/fans, makeup/makeup remover, prolonged use of poor fitting face mask (Mask Associated Dry Eye)
Certain daily activities that result in decreased blinking such as screen time (computer, TV, cellular phone) or reading
Eye surgery
Certain diseases such as Sjögrens syndrome, thyroid disease, and rheumatoid arthritis
Certain skin conditions like rosacea
Certain medications such as some blood pressure medications, allergy medications, and anxiety medications
Before starting dry eye treatment, we will have you fill out a questionnaire to see how much your quality of daily life is affected by dry eye. You will have a comprehensive eye exam with one of our physicians, and specific diagnostic tests may be performed if needed.
Dry Eye Treatments
Treatment focuses on targeting ocular surface and eyelid inflammation, and treating any contributing factors including those mentioned above. Your doctor will create a customized, individualized care plan for your dry eyes. Our goal is to help you find relief from the symptoms of dry eye!
Blepharitis/Meibomian Gland Disease
Blepharitis/meibomian gland disease can lead to chronic inflammation of your eyelids and eyelashes. Meibomian glands are oil glands along the inner edge of the eyelids. These glands make oil that is an important part of the eye’s tears. With chronic inflammation these glands can become clogged and poorly functioning. This can cause, or significantly contribute to your dry eye disease. An important part of your treatment regimen is the health of your eyelids and meibomian glands.
BlephEx® is a medical device that treats blepharitis. Your doctor may recommend mechanical cleaning of your eyelids in the office with BlephEx®. The goal of BlephEx® treatment is to make your eyes more comfortable. It is a painless in-office procedure performed by your doctor. The procedure effectively removes accumulated bacterial biofilm, much like a dental cleaning removes accumulated plaque, also a biofilm. Once the biofilm is removed, your eyelids are cleaner and healthier. A healthy eyelid is critical for normal tear production, helping to prevent the eyes from becoming dry in the future. The procedure takes about 8 minutes. Most patients simply report a tickling sensation during treatment. After the procedure, you may resume normal activities. BlephEx® should be repeated every 4-6 months as determined by your doctor.
TearCare®: This innovative, well studied therapy, is a very effective way of clearing abnormal meibum (oil) from the clogged meibomian glands. The in-office procedure applies heat to the glands and safely and comfortably liquefies the hardened meibum (oil) in the glands. This allows your doctor to clear the meibomian glands of the poor quality oil with manual eyelid pressure. Following the treatment, your glands should secrete meibum properly. This procedure is typically repeated every 6 months, depending on the severity of disease.