Dry Eye Therapy

Dry Eye & How We Can Help

Dry eye disease is a chronic condition caused by issues with your tear film that lead to symptoms like red eyes and burning sensations. Dry eye does not pose an immediate threat to your eye health, but it can get worse and lead to other complications if it’s not treated.

The symptoms of dry eye disease can interfere with your daily life, but there are many ways to treat dry eye and experience relief, including intense pulsed light therapy, radiofrequency, and ZEST treatments.

It all starts with a comprehensive eye exam with our team, and from there, we can begin recommending personalized treatment options.

If you’re struggling with dry eyes and need to increase your comfort, we can help. Contact us to schedule your appointment today.

Book Appointment

Common Causes & Symptoms

Your tears are made up of 3 different layers: oil, water, and mucus. Each layer plays an important role in lubricating your eyes, and a disruption in just 1 of these layers can lead to dry eyes.

Some of the common symptoms of dry eyes include:

Burning or stinging sensations
Light sensitivity
Red eyes
A feeling like there’s something in your eyes
Watery eyes
Discomfort from contact lenses

The Importance of Tears for Eye Health

Tears play an important role in the maintenance of your eye health. The surface of your eye is covered by a tear film that provides lubrication and washes away debris, allowing for clear vision.

There are many reasons the tear film in your eyes may become disrupted or your tear production may decrease, including your age, various health conditions, and environmental factors.

Without a healthy tear film, the quality of your vision and your comfort can be affected by dry eye symptoms. That can happen for many reasons, and there are several treatments that can help you manage those irritating symptoms.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) Explained

MGD is a leading cause of dry eyes. It develops when the glands in your eyelids that produce the oil layer of your tears—your meibomian glands—aren’t working properly. Without an adequate oil layer in your tear film, your tears can dry up too quickly, leading to dry eyes.

There are many reasons why MGD may affect you. Some of the risk factors include your age, wearing contact lenses, or having certain health conditions, such as high cholesterol, autoimmune diseases, inflamed or damaged eyelids, and bacterial infections.

At EyeWell, we offer intense pulsed light therapy and several other treatments to help support your tear film and address MGD.

Diagnosis & Assessment for Dry Eyes

We use several tests to diagnose dry eye disease. The first step is performing an eye exam. During your exam, the quality and thickness of your tears may be evaluated to determine how much your eyes are being affected by dry eye disease.

To diagnose dry eyes, we may use special dyes that help us see details about the tear film on your eyes. We may also perform a comprehensive dry eye assessment with the Topcon MYAH, a device that helps us get detailed information about your eye health and the stability of your tears.

Treatment for Dry Eyes

We offer a variety of treatments to help you get dry eye relief. There is no one-size-fits-all option for addressing dry eyes, so we personalize our approach to your treatment and make recommendations based on the severity of your symptoms and what may be causing them.

For many people with mild dry eyes, consistently using nonprescription eye drops can be helpful. If your condition is more serious, we may recommend another treatment that can address the underlying causes of dry eyes.

InMode IPL

Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment can treat the root cause of dry eyes to help you get lasting relief. MGD is a big culprit for dry eyes, and IPL can address MGD by using light energy to heat up your meibomian glands and stimulate the release of natural oils for your tear film.

InMode Forma Radiofrequency

Radiofrequency treatments use heat to break up oils that can clog your meibomian glands. Clearing blockages in your meibomian glands helps promote the flow of oils into your tear film to prevent future dry eye symptoms and provide lasting relief.

ZEST Treatment

ZEST treatment uses a natural gel made from okra to flush out debris from your eyelids and soothe dry eye symptoms. Dirt and debris that accumulate in and around the eyelid can lead to blepharitis, a common underlying cause of dry eyes. ZEST treatments can help alleviate blepharitis and remove debris, dust, and other elements that contribute to dry eye symptoms.

Meibomian Gland Expression

Meibomian gland expression involves gently squeezing the oils out of your eyelids by applying pressure to the area. This can help reduce dry eye symptoms by releasing trapped oils and promoting healthy oil production for your tear film.

Other Dry Eye Treatments

Some other dry eye treatments we offer are eyelid debridement, omega-3s, and eyelid sprays and masks. Each of these treatments can help alleviate symptoms and restore your comfort.

Bring Back Comfort to Your Eyes

We understand. Dry eyes are a nuisance. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. The treatments we offer can help bring comfort back to your eyes and support your eye health.

If you’re struggling with dry eye symptoms, we encourage you to book an appointment at our office. We look forward to meeting you!

Book Appointment