Dry Eye
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What is Dry Eye?
About 30 million people in the U.S. and 300 million people worldwide suffer from dry, itchy, painful eyes on a daily basis.
The most common cause for dry eye is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. In MGD, the Meibomian glands, which mix natural oils into your tears, become blocked. When your tears don’t have enough oil in them, they evaporate too quickly and can’t lubricate your eyes properly.
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction is a chronic, progressive condition. But it is treatable.
Symptoms of Dry Eye
- redness burning
- itching
- gritty sensation
- crusting and matting of eyelashes
- sticky discharge
- blurred vision
- tired eyes
- heaviness of the lids
- fluctuating vision
How does Dry Eye Treatment Work?
LipiFlow Treatment
The LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System from TearScience is one of the only treatments to target the leading cause of dry eye: blockages in the Meibomian glands.
Step 1
You’ll be given a LipiFlow scan, which makes sure LipiFlow is the proper treatment for your dry eyes. This scan only takes 10 minutes.
Step 2
LipiFlow eyepieces are applied to your eyelids, and they use gentle pulses of heat and pressure to open up your blocked ducts. The entire LipiFlow treatment takes about 12 minutes.
Step 3
Your Meibomian glands are unblocked and can now function normally, providing your eyes with the natural oils they need to stay comfortable.
Results of Lipiflow
LipiFlow is a safe, gentle treatment that unblocks the clogged ducts that cause Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. When you come in for your LipiFlow treatment, an eyepiece will be placed on your eyelids that sends gentle pulses of heat and pressure. These pulses will clear gland blockages and allow them to function normally again.
The entire LipiFlow treatment lasts about 12 minutes, is totally painless, and you can get back to your life as soon as you get up from the chair! Patients typically see results immediately, and many need only one treatment to correct their condition.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Treatment
IPL stands for intense pulsed light. This technology has been used for many years by dermatologists to treat skin conditions like rosacea and sunspots. IPL helps to blanch abnormal blood vessels in rosacea and fades sunspots by utilizing filters that only allow certain wavelengths of light to penetrate the skin and target hemoglobin and melanin. In ocular rosacea and blepharitis, there are abnormal blood vessels along the eyelid margin that produce inflammation in the meibomian glands. These glands play an important role in maintaining the oil layer in tears. Without a healthy oil layer, tears evaporate more quickly which can exacerbate dry eyes. IPL can shrink these vessels and decrease the inflammatory burden on the oil producing meibomian glands, thus improving dry eye.
Results of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Treatment
IPL in an in-office skin procedure performed by a doctor. Eye shields are placed to protect the eyes. A cool gel is applied to the skin to aid in penetration of the light waves. During the treatment session, you may feel a slight tingling sensation on your skin. The entire treatment takes about 20 minutes. Sunscreen should be applied immediately afterwards as your skin will be more sensitive to UV rays. Results can be seen in as little as 2 weeks. Typically, 3-4 sessions are needed about one month apart for maximum results. Yearly maintenance treatments are recommended.
Is LipiFlow or IPL Treatment Right for You?
To find out if LipiFlow or IPL Treatment is the right treatment for your dry eyes, we invite you to visit us for a dry eye evaluation. During this evaluation, we will perform an evaluation to determine the root cause of your dry eye.
Contact us today at 805-987-5300 to schedule an eye exam with Dr. Zhang to see if LipiFlow or IPL treatment can provide relief for your dry eye symptoms.
Alternative Dry Eye Products
OPTASE Products
OPTASE is the expert-recommended 3 step regimen (HEAT, CLEANSE, HYDRATE) to treat dry eye, blepharitis, and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). All products are made from natural ingredients and contain no preservatives, making them safe for daily use.
IPL Procedure
Learn more about the IPL procedure with Dr. Lynn Zhang in the videos below!
PRN (Physician Recommended Nutriceuticals)
PRN features re-esterified triglyceride omega 3 products, which are free from toxins and alcohol. The omega 3 products are absorbed by your body three times better than store-bought fish oil.
To find out which dry eye treatment is right for you, visit us today for a dry eye evaluation!
