Dry Eye Treatment

Find relief from dry, itchy, irritated eyes.

Dry eyes affect millions of people in the United States. It is estimated that as many as 4.88 million Americans over the age of 50 suffer from this uncomfortable condition.

Dry eye syndrome refers to a breakdown in the quantity or quality of tears to moisten, cleanse and protect the eyes. This is significant because, with each blink, tears protect the surface of the eye, washing away dust and microorganisms. When this protective coating dries up, the eyes may feel “gritty” or burn and can be more sensitive to light. In extreme cases, vision can be blurred.

If you suspect that you have dry eye, see your eye doctor. Proper care will not only increase your comfort – it will protect your eyes. Your eye care provider can perform a series of tests to determine if you have dry eyes.

What are the common symptoms of dry eye?

Everyone experiences dry eye differently because there are so many potential underlying causes.

Typical symptoms include:

• Redness or eyes that appear irritated and bloodshot
• Consistent burning or tingling sensations in the eyes
• Eyes that feel itchy or as if they have something in them
• Increased sensitivity to bright lights or sunlight
• Excessive tearing, or eyes that always appear watery

What causes dry eye?

There are many potential causes of dry eye.

In some cases, the cause is obvious, such as environmental irritants or short-term inflammation.

Some of the other causes of chronic dry eye problems include:

• Disease of the meibomian glands
• Blepharitis
• Allergies
• Defects that affect the eyelid or shape of the eye
• Certain medications
• Abnormal eye pressure
• Deficiency of aqueous fluids

Because the underlying causes vary, treatment methods after diagnosis will also vary according to the patient. It is also not uncommon for there to be more than one cause for dry eye.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is one of the most common causes of Dry Eye Syndrome. It is a general term for an inflammation of the eyelid and eyelashes. It is among the most common and stubborn eye conditions usually resulting from poor eyelid hygiene, a low-grade bacterial infection (usually staphylococcal), an allergic reaction, and/or abnormalities in oil gland function.

Like some other skin conditions, blepharitis can be controlled but not cured. The main goals in treating it are to reduce the number of bacteria along the lid margin and open plugged glands. Contact Chittick Eye Care to assess the severity of your problem and the best treatment method.

Using Lumenis Optilight for Dry Eye Treatment

OptiLight with Lumenis patented Optimal Pulse Technology uses precise, intense broad-spectrum light to address the inflammation –one of the key underlining factors in dry eye disease due to MGD. OptiLight was specifically developed to reach the delicate contours of the treated area safely, effectively, and gently. OptiLight sets new treatment standards and helps patients to regain health, control, and joy. The OptiLight procedure can increase your tear break-up time by 2.7x and allow the oil glands to express 6.3x better.

It’s Easy! You can return to your daily activities and apply makeup straight away in most cases. You will be advised to stay out of direct sunlight for a few days and to apply sunscreen. Patients usually report an improvement after their 2nd or 3rd treatment. Maintenance treatments are usually recommended every 6-12 months, to ensure the best long-term results.

Read more here about how patients can benefit from Meibomian gland expression (MGX) combined with IPL treatments, like OptiLight, for dry eye management.