A common and frequently-diagnosed condition, dry eye syndrome is essentially the eye’s inability to produce enough moisture to maintain comfort during normal, everyday activities.
The Anatomy of Your Tears
Did you know that your tears are made up of three layers, all of which work together to maintain the health of your eyes?
- The oily layer keeps your tears from evaporating too quickly
- The watery layer delivers nutrients to your eyes
- The mucus layer keeps your tear film stuck to the surface of your eyes
Evaporative Dry Eye (EDE), the most common type, occurs when you don’t have the correct amount of oil in your tears, causing them to evaporate too quickly. In some cases, the glands in your eyes (meibomian glands), that produce and distribute oil to your tears, can become blocked. Aqueous Tear Deficiency (ATD) is a condition in which your eyes lack the watery layer, which means your eyes simply do not produce enough tears to keep them moist.
If you experience light sensitivity, irritation, burning or blurred vision, you may be exhibiting symptoms of (a) dry eye syndrome. 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.
Normal Eye
Dry Eye
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
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. Here at Beach Eye Care, we are proud to offer the latest tools and technologies to not only determine any imbalance in your tears and the type of dry eye syndrome you may have, but to treat it as well.
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 teams of professionals to recommend the treatment that’s right for you.
OptiLight Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) by Lumenis
Beach Eye Care offers OptiLight, which uses patented Optimal Pulse Technology to conduct a safe, gentle and effective treatment for dry eye management. It is the first and only FDA-approved intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment available for the condition. Using OptiLight, a 10- to 15-minute procedure delivers precise, intense broad-spectrum pulses of light below the eyes to reduce dry eye symptoms. It increases tear break-up time, reduces mites and bacteria around your eyes, decreases inflammation and improves meibomian gland function, providing overall relief for dry eye symptoms.
During your treatment, your Beach Eye Care doctor will apply a cool gel on the treatment area and cover your eyes for protection. The light from the IPL treatment is then applied to the skin. You may feel some warmth or a tapping sensation, but no pain. After the procedure, your eyes may feel a bit dry or gritty for a day or so, for which we recommend simply using preservative-free artificial tears. Your skin may also be sensitive from the IPL treatment, so we recommend avoiding sun exposure and using sunscreen immediately after the procedure.
During your consultation with Beach Eye Care, we will review your symptoms, test your tear quality and determine if OptiLight is the right solution for you. While it brings relief to many, there are some conditions in which OptiLight may not be a suitable treatment. OptiLight is not recommended if you are taking certain medications (like Accutane), have active acne or other certain skin conditions, are susceptible to keloid scarring or other scarring or have recently experienced a sunburn.
Make an appointment today for a consultation and discover the freedom from the irritation and discomfort of Dry Eye Syndrome.
Make Dry Eye Relief Affordable
We understand that managing dry eye and scheduling IPL treatments is an investment in your comfort and long-term eye health. That’s why we offer flexible financing options to make treatment easier on your budget.
CareCredit accepted – split your payments over time with low or no-interest plans.
Ask our team how you can get the relief you need without the stress of upfront costs. Your eyes deserve it, and your wallet will thank you too.
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, our 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.
Read our case study: Excellence in Dry Eye Management Requires a Blueprint That Emphasizes Consistency
Beach Eye Care is now a TearLab Accredited Dry Eye Center dedicated to providing the highest quality of dry eye care using advanced ophthalmic diagnostic techniques and treatments.
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.
LipiView Ocular Surface Interferometer
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.
TearCare® System – Dry Eye Treatment Utilizing SmartLids™ Technology
If you are experiencing Evaporative Dry Eye, you may have an imbalance in the three layers of fluids that make up your tears. Poor tear quality is often caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) which impacts the oil balance in your tears, causing them to dry too quickly and often initiating common dry eye symptoms, irritation, or overproduction of tears.
Using the TearCare treatment, single-use, external sensors (SmartLids) are applied to the external upper and lower eyelids. Then we will connect the non-invasive sensors to a SmartHub™ which is set to apply gentle heat to loosen any clogged meibomian glands. After the 15-minute heat application, during which you are encouraged to blink, we may perform a gentle massage of the upper and lower lids to express the glands to restore the balance of the mucus, aqueous and lipid layers of your tears, in turn relieving the discomfort of this type of dry eye irritation.
Before recommending the TearCare treatment, Beach Eye Care will test your tear quality to customize the appropriate treatment plan. The TearCare System is an advanced, non-invasive treatment that may replace or enhance other dry eye treatments such as artificial tears, lubricant drops or other anti-inflammatory drops. By restoring the function of your meibomian glands, you may experience improved tear quality and balance, reducing symptoms of dry, gritty, scratchy, watery eyes and occasional blurriness.
