Millions of Americans are effected by Dry Eye. Symptoms can range from mild to very severe.
Some of these symptoms are:
Burning, stinging, gritty or sandy feeling
Red eye
Sensitivity to light
Fluctuating vision
Difficulty wearing contacts or having to discontinue use all together
Tearing
Foreign body sensation (feeling like something is in your eye)
Tired/fatigued eyes
There are three layers to your tears:
Outer layer, oil layer - This layer is made from your meibomian glands. These glands are in your eyelids and located near your eyelashes.
Middle layer, water layer - This layer is made from your lacrimal gland. This is the majority of your tears.
Inner layer, mucous layer - This layer is made from cells located in the white of the eye. This layer helps keep tears on your eye.
The majority of Dry Eye is caused from problems with the Meibomian glands. Dry eyes can be made worse by computer use, contact lens use, some medications, age, gender, and the environment.
Treatment for Dry Eye
Artificial tears - There are many on the market from tears, gel, and ointment.
Hot compresses - We recommend a Bruder mask. This is a mask that can be microwaved and used to head the meibomian glands.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements
Punctal Plugs - These block the area that drain the tears from the eyes.
Medication - Medication like Restasis, Cequa, Xiidra, and Tyrvaya can help
Lipiflow - This is a procedure that heats the meibomian glands and gently massages the gland to express thick and/or backed up oil.
Optilight IPL - This is the latest treatment in Dry Eye. This is a 15 minute procedure that uses light to heat the skin under the eyes. This decreases inflammation in the meibomian glands.