Call Us or Text Us: 757-425-5550
payment icon Pay Your Bill calendar icon Request Appointment contact icon Locations & Hours shop icon Shop
search icon
Beach Eye Care
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Request an Appointment
  • Locations & Hours
  • Shop Online
  • About Us
        • About Us

        • A Better Vision
        • Our Doctors
        • Locations & Hours
        • Financing & Payment
        • Advancements in Technology
        • Employment
        • Charity
  • Our Services
        • Our Services

        • LASIK – Laser Vision Correction
        • ZEISS SMILE - Laser Vision Correction
        • Comprehensive Eye Exams
        • Aesthetics and Cosmetic Treatments
        • Designer Eyewear & Lenses
        • Contact Lenses
        • Cataract Treatments
        • Corneal Treatments
        • Glaucoma Treatments
        • Current Specials
        • Dry Eye Diagnosis & Treatment
  • Patient Resources
        • Patient Resources

        • Pay Your Bill
        • Testimonials
        • Download Forms
        • Health Insurance
        • Financing & Payment
        • Media Gallery
        • FAQs
        • Cataract Evaluation
        • Ask the Doctors
        • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
    • In the News
    • Laser Vision Correction
    • Community & Global Outreach
    • Your Eyes
    • From the Docs
  • Patient Portal
    • Login
    • Pay Your Bill
    • Patient Portal Guide

Dry Eye Diagnosis & Treatment

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.

Don't let Dry Eye hold you back

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
Normal Eye

Dry 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 by Lumenis

OptiLight 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.

OptiLight by Lumenis Patient
OptiLight by Lumenis Machine

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.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

TearLab

Discovering Dry Eye through Technology

TearLab 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.

Read our case study: Excellence in Dry Eye Management Requires a Blueprint That Emphasizes Consistency

DOWNLOAD NOW


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.
Learn more »
TearCare

TearCare® System – Dry Eye Treatment Utilizing SmartLids™ Technology

TearCare treatment applied to eyelidsIf 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.

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

LipiViewThe 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.

iLUX® MGD Treatment System

Do you have questions or are you interested in learning more?

Schedule an appointment with Beach Eye Care today!

facebook youtube instagram yelp google reviews

Join Our Mailing List



Coastal Virginia Best Of Awards

Copyright © 2023 Beach Eye Care | Terms & Conditions | Staff Portal | Insurance Providers