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A common & frequently diagnosed condition, dry eye syndrome is essentially the eye’s inability to produce enough moisture to maintain comfort during normal, everyday activities. If you experience light sensitivity, irritation, burning or blurred vision you may be exhibiting symptoms of dry eye. While many people experience these symptoms on occasion, those who have any of these irritations on a regular basis may have what is considered a chronic dry eye.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms on a regular basis, it may benefit you to talk to one of the specialists here at Beach Eye Care. There are many new treatments and we’re proud to offer the latest new technologies in the treatment of dry eye.
Symptoms Include:
- Redness
- Burning, scratchy feeling in your eyes
- Mucus that forms in or around the eye
- Sensitivity and irritation in windy or smoky conditions
- Intermittent blurring or fluctuating vision
- Tired eyes that feel overworked
- Sensitivity to bright light or outdoor environments
- Constant feeling that there is something in your eye
- Inability to comfortably wear contact lenses
Beach Eye Care realizes how frustrating some of these symptoms can be. That’s why we encourage you to talk to one of our caring team of professionals to recommend the treatment that’s right for you.
Discovering Dry Eye through Technology
If you are suffering with one or more of the symptoms of chronic dry eye, Beach Eye Care can help you to comfort through advanced TearLab technology. The TearLab Osmolarity System scientifically measures the composition of your tears in just seconds using just 50 nanoliters of your eye’s tear film. Using a TearLab test card, Dr. Neatrour and his team can gather a very small sample of your tears, which are then evaluated for their liquid properties. This system allows us to diagnose early stage dry eye disease, even before it becomes troublesome or problematic.
Using our technology, we can determine which type of dry eye you are suffering from: aqueous (water) deficiency or evaporative, as the tear film is made of layers of mucin, aqueous, and lipids. The TearLab tear osmolarity test helps diagnose aqueous deficiency by your tear osmolarity number being >300. We can then treat with artificial tears, punctual occlusion (blockage of lower, then upper, lid tear drains by heat or plugs), RESTASIS® (a prescription drop that increases the quantity and quality of tears), or Hydroeyes vitamins. Once your tear osmolarity is normalized, evaporative dry eyes can be diagnosed with Lipiview and treated with Lipiflow. The tearfilm is the first focusing surface and very important to our good vision. The Meibomian glands that produce these needed and important lipids experience, with time, a decline in length and number, as well as obstruction, that leads to less lipids in your tears and dry eye symptoms. Lipiflow uses heat and massage over a 12 minute treatment to open and increase the flow of lipids form the Meibomian glands lasting 9-12 months for most patients, stopping the progression of this chronic disease. So, we can now apply chemistry in diagnosing dry eyes and can treat all types. See below for more information on LipiView and LipiFlow.
LipiView and LipiFlow – Discovery and Relief from the Discomfort of Dry Eye
Beach Eye Care offers the very latest in the treatment of Evaporative Dry Eye. Your tears, which moisten and lubricate the eye, are made up of three layers – the mucin layer which adheres to your eye’s surface, the aqueous layer and the outer lipid layer which is made up of a thin film of oils produced to protect and prevent moisture in the aqueous layer.
The LipiView Ocular Surface Interferometer is a new technology that can determine the actual thickness of the outer lipid layer. If this outer lipid layer is less than optimal, you may be losing valuable moisture and experiencing the irritating symptoms of dry eye. We at Beach Eye Care are pleased to offer this technology that leads to the proper treatment of dry eye. If you are in fact suffering from lipid deficiency, you may benefit from a new, in-office companion treatment LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation.
LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation Treatment
Beach Eye Care also performs LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation treatment. Deficiency of lipids in the tears is generally due to blockage or underperformance of oil glands that surround the lid of the eye. The LipiFlow treatment gently warms these glands from the inside while very gentle pressure is applied on the outside rim of the lids. Patients report dramatic improvement after a single treatment and no longer need to constantly use drops, ointments or medications.
Easy, comfortable relief from dry eye is well within your sights when you turn to Beach Eye Care for your complete eye health.
iLUX® MGD Treatment System
The iLUX® Device is used to warm and compress glands in the eyelids of adult patients with a specific type of dry eye, called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), also known as evaporative dry eye. With your medical professional by your side every step of the way, the iLUX® MGD treatment device incorporates the innovative Smart Tip Patient Interface to deliver treatment directly to the blocked meibomian glands. Provide real time feedback as they administer therapeutic heat and then express the oil. Now that the glands are unblocked, it will be easier for the oil to be released naturally.
The iLUX® device was shown to significantly reduce dry eye symptoms such as gritty eyes and irritation. In a clinical study, patients’ meibomian gland scores were three times better at two weeks post-treatment and four times better at four weeks, compared to baseline. Once treatment begins, it takes approximately 8–12 minutes for both eyes.
Do you have questions or are you interested in learning more?
Schedule an appointment with Beach Eye Care today!
