Treatments for Dry Eye and MGD
Lipiflow
MGD (meibomian gland dysfunction) is a chronic, progressive, eyelid disease. Lipiflow is the only FDA approved treatment that addresses the “root cause” of this disease by removing the hardened oils that block and damage these glands.
BlephEx
With BlephEx the clinician thoroughly and precisely eliminates the scurf and bacteria debris, the main causes of inflammatory lid disease. This eliminates one of the main factors contributing to dry eye disease. Dr. Fontana can reduce the symptoms associated with dry eye. He may prescribe a low dose antibiotic, have you apply a daily heat compress, and perform the BlephEx treatment in office.
Environmental Changes: Indoors: A humidifier will also add moisture to air that’s too dry because of air conditioning or heating. Reminding yourself to blink is a good idea, but, not practical. Outdoors, always wear sunglasses to protect from wind, dust, and the effects of the UV exposure
Punctal plugs: In some cases of dry eye, Dr Fontana will recommend punctal plugs. These tiny devices are inserted into your tear ducts to slow the drainage of tears, thereby keeping your eyes more moist.
Zocular Zest: This simple in office procedure uses a natural anti-inflammatory gel derived from the okra plant to remove debris and irritants from the lid
Changing Medications: If medications are the cause of dry eyes, discontinuing the drug generally resolves the problem. But in this case, the benefits of the drug must be weighed against the side effect of dry eyes. Sometimes switching to a different type of medication alleviates the dry eye symptoms while keeping the needed treatment. In any case, never switch or discontinue your medications without consulting your primary care physician. Some special nutritional supplements containing omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids decrease dry eye symptoms.
Dry Eye can be caused by dry air from air conditioning, heat, or environmental conditions like our Minnesota winters! But there is relief, and we can help! Eye 35 is the exclusive provider of Lipiflow and Blephex dry eye treatment in the south suburbs!
“Patients tell me all the time that they didn’t know there was a treatment for their dry eye problems. Some don’t even know they’re suffering from dry eye because they’ve learned to just live with it. I’m excited to be a part of changing that for my patients. There are many ways to treat dry eye – before it gets out of control and causes other major eye problems. I have the newest and best technologies in my office to help people overcome their symptoms and feel better. The Lipiflow or Blephex treatment are just a few options I offer depending on each individual’s needs. Nobody has to live with the discomfort and frustration of dry eye anymore.” -Dr. Scott Fontana, Eye 35 Eye Care
Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a chronic condition that develops when your eyes do not produce and maintain enough tears to keep the eye's surface lubricated resulting in multiple symptoms. This can be due to a reduction in tear production or increased tear evaporation from a lack of lipid in the tears that stem from oil glands in the eyelids. The effects can range from minor dryness and discomfort to pain, blurred vision and frequent infections.
Are you one of the millions of Americans that suffers from Dry Eye?
Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease
If you are experiencing…
- Pain
- Light sensitivity
- A gritty sensation
- A feeling of a foreign body or sand in the eye
- Itching
- Redness
- Blurring or fluctuation of vision
…then you probably have Dry Eye – and we can help!
The main function of tears is to maintain the health of the cornea of your eye by washing away foreign matter and ensuring that the surface of your eye remains moist, smooth and clear. Tears also rinse away dust particles from your eyes and contain enzymes that protect your eyes from bacteria that can cause infections. Dry eyes is a condition that develops when the amount of tears produced is not sufficient to maintain the moisture balance in your eye. This can result in that scratchy sensation, a continuous feeling of dryness, stinging and a sensation of a foreign body in your eye. Ironically in an effort to fight off the condition, dry eyes can cause you to produce excessive tears, which is why some people experience watery eyes.
Diagnosis of Dry Eye Disease
Typically, dry eye disease can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam and a description of your symptoms. On some occasions the eye doctor might decide to do a test that measures how quickly your tears evaporate from the surface of your eye. By instilling a simple dye called fluorescein (much like food coloring) the doctor is able to watch and count how long it takes the tears to start to break up after they’ve asked you to hold your eyes open after a blink. This is called TBUT or a Tear Break Up Time test. A low TBUT generally indicates a lipid (aka oil) deficiency in the tears resulting from oil glands in the eyelids not functioning properly. In another type of test, called a Schirmer test, a strip of filter paper is placed under the lid of the eye and you will be asked to close your eye for five minutes. Following the test the amount of moisture on the strip will be measured. Schirmer tests are performed less frequently than a TBUT test.
