Dry eye syndrome is a condition in which you are unable to make enough tears or the right quality of tears to nourish and moisturize your eyes sufficiently. One common cause of the condition is the dysfunction of the meibomian glands in the eyelids, which are the tiny oil glands that are responsible for producing natural oils for your tears. Without the proper production of the oils, the tears produced will evaporate very quickly without properly moisturizing your eyes. The condition has a broad range of symptoms that can be very uncomfortable:
- Gritty or sandy feeling in the eyes
- Burning sensation
- Eye redness
- Sensation of a foreign body in the eye
- Eye fatigue
- Blurry vision
- Intolerance to wearing contact lens
- Excessive tearing
- Sensitivity to light
When left untreated, dry eye syndrome can lead to a significant eye pain and scars on your corneas. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you should speak with an eye care professional as soon as possible. A comprehensive eye evaluation is necessary to receive the proper treatment for your dry eye condition.
Challenges With Traditional Options
If you have been examined and diagnosed with dry eye syndrome, some standard treatment options are available for you.
Artificial Tears can be Messy and Inconvenient
Artificial tears may soothe your eyes, but because they do not treat the cause of the condition; relief is only temporary. You may be compelled to apply the eye drops frequently to find relief. You may need to experiment with different brands to find one that works for your symptoms. This can make the use of eye drops to find relief from dry eye syndrome a messy, expensive and very inconvenient long-term solution.
Punctal Plugs Require the Insertion of a Foreign Body into the Eyelid
Punctal plugs are small biocompatible devices made of silicone or collagen that are inserted into the openings of your tear ducts to retain your tears. However, while the plugs may increase the quantity of tears in the eyes, it does not improve the quality of tears. For the eye to stay adequately lubricated, tears must be healthy and of good quality. Punctal plugs can aggravate the inflammation that is the root cause of the dry eye condition. Finally, punctal plugs are easily displaced; they may require replacement and sometimes they become lodged in another part of your eye and have to be extracted by your eye doctor.
LipiFlow
LipiFlow is a treatment that is usually used for dry eye patients with less-inflammed eyes. It involves the application of controlled heat to the inner eyelid and uses sporadic pressure to force oils from the blocked Meibomian glands. The technology can be used to treat both the lower and upper eyelids at the same time. While Lipiflow may do an excellent job of opening the blocked glands, it may not adequately address the reason the glands became blocked in the first place.
Omega-3 Supplements
The fatty acids in omega-3 supplements, such as fish oil or flax seeds, are thought to reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome and treat the inflammation associated with the condition. However, the use of the supplements may not have consistent results. The known drawbacks of using these unregulated supplements as a treatment method include their unpleasant taste and the adverse interactions they can have with other types of medicine.
Why You Should Choose IPL Treatment For Dry Eye
Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, treatment is effective because it alleviates the symptoms associated with dry eye syndrome AND can directly treat the primary cause of the condition. IPL slows the progression of chronic dry eye without drops. It is a light-based treatment that targets the problematic blood vessels in the eyelids and skin responsible for the dysfunction of your Meibomian glands. As a result, the quality and quantity of the tears may improve.
Key Benefits
Some of the benefits of IPL dry eye treatment include:
- Long-lasting results
- Relatively painless
- Quick treatment time (can be completed during your lunch break)
- No recovery or downtime. You can immediately return to normal daily activities afterward
- Proven effective with negligible risk
- Decreased dependency on eye drops for dry eye
- Treats the underlying cause of dry eye, not just the symptoms
- Saves you money with competitive pricing
You’ll Love Your Results
IPL therapy is a treatment that has been backed by clinical evidence. It is ideal for patients who have tried traditional treatments for their dry eye syndrome with little to no success or who have tired of having to undergo repeated treatments to find relief from their symptoms continually.
Patients are usually very pleased their IPL treatment and the results that they receive. Many patients report significant results with less discomfort, improved clarity, and even improved contact lens tolerance.
You do not have to suffer the effects of dry eye syndrome forever. If you are looking for an effective, drug-free, drop-free treatment for your chronic dry eyes that will treat the underlying cause of the condition, call us to day at Belcara Health and schedule a consultation with Dr. Richard Adler, Board-Certified Ophthalmologist and Allergan Educator, specializing in IPL for Dry Eye.