Dry eye syndrome is a condition in which you are unable to produce enough tears or the proper quality of tears to sufficiently nourish and hydrate your eyes. A common explanation for the condition is dysfunction of the meibomian glands within the eyelids, which are the small oil glands liable for producing natural oils for tears.

Without proper production of the oils, the tears produced will evaporate very quickly without adequately hydrating your eyes. The condition has a wide range of symptoms that can be very uncomfortable:

  • Gritty or gritty sensation in the eyes
  • Burning sensation
  • Redness of the eyes
  • Foreign body sensation in the eye.
  • Eye fatigue
  • Blurry vision
  • Intolerance to the use of contact lenses
  • Excessive tearing
  • Sensitivity to light

If left untreated, dry eye syndrome can lead to significant eye pain and corneal scarring. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you should speak to an eye doctor as soon as possible. A complete eye evaluation is necessary to receive the proper treatment for your dry eye condition.

Challenges with traditional options

If you’ve been tested and diagnosed with dry eye syndrome, there are some standard treatment options available to you.

Artificial tears can be messy and uncomfortable

Artificial tears can soothe your eyes, but because they don’t treat the cause of the condition; relief is only temporary. You may be forced 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 using eye drops to relieve dry eye syndrome a complicated, expensive, and very inconvenient long-term solution.

Point plugs require insertion of a foreign body into the eyelid

Point plugs are small biocompatible devices made of silicone or collagen that are inserted into the openings of the tear ducts to retain tears. However, although plugs can increase the amount of tears in the eyes, they do not improve the quality of tears. In order for the eye to stay properly lubricated, tears must be healthy and of good quality. Point plugs can aggravate the inflammation that is the main cause of the dry eye condition. Finally, the point plugs are easily displaced; they may require replacement and sometimes lodge in another part of the eye and must be removed by your ophthalmologist.

LipiFlow

LipiFlow is a treatment that is often used for patients with dry eyes and less inflamed eyes. It involves the application of controlled heat to the inner eyelid and uses sporadic pressure to expel the oils from the blocked meibomian glands. The technology can be used to treat the upper and lower eyelids at the same time. While Lipiflow can do an excellent job of opening blocked glands, it may not adequately address the reason why 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 believed to reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome and treat the inflammation associated with the condition. However, using supplements may not have consistent results. Known drawbacks to using these unregulated supplements as a treatment method include their unpleasant taste and the adverse interactions they can have with other types of medications.

Why You Should Choose IPL  Treatment

Treatment with intense pulsed light, or IPL  Treatment is effective because it alleviates the symptoms associated with dry eye syndrome AND can directly treat the root cause of the condition. IPL Treatment slows the progression of the chronic dry eye without drops. It is a light-based treatment that targets problematic blood vessels in the eyelids and skin responsible for meibomian gland dysfunction. As a result, the quality and quantity of tears can improve.

Key benefits

Some of the benefits of IPL  treatment include:

  • Long lasting results
  • Relatively painless
  • Quick treatment time (can be completed during lunch break)
  • No recovery or downtime. You can immediately return to your normal daily activities afterward.
  • Proven effective with negligible risk
  • Decreased dependence on eye drops for dry eye.
  • Treat the underlying explanation for dry eye, not just the symptoms.
  • Saves you money with competitive prices