Dry Eye Syndrome is an irritating, uncomfortable and sometimes even painful, common eye condition caused by a lack of tear production or an improper chemical balance in the tears. Without proper tears to keep the eyes moist and lubricated, individuals with Dry Eye Syndrome may experience minor symptoms from an itching, burning or scratchy sensation in the eyes to more serious symptoms such as blurred vision.
Read more about dry eyes in this article.
There are a number of treatment options for dry eyes. The course of treatment often depends on the symptoms and type of dry eye experienced by the patient. Treatment options include: artificial tears, ointments, supplements such as the Science Based Health supplement for dry eyes, HydroEye®, tear duct plugs, and LipiFlow® dry eyes treatment.
Using the LipiView® tool, physicians are able to observe the tear film on the surface of the eye using digital images. LipiView can help determine the type of dry eye a patient may be experiencing. As many as 86 percent of patients with dry eye have Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, or Evaporative Dry Eye – a disease in which the eyelid glands are blocked, resulting in a deficiency in the tear film oil. It’s this oil that keeps tears from evaporating too quickly.
LipiFlow is designed to treat not only the symptoms of dry eye, but also rather the root cause of the dry eye – Evaporative Dry Eye. The LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation system allows doctors to treat Evaporative Dry eye by relieving obstructions of the blocked eyelid glands by applying a combination of heat therapy and pressure to the gland.
This in-office treatment opens blocked eyelid glands, making way for the natural production of oils (lipids) necessary for the tear film of the eye. Patients who undergo the LipiFlow treatment are able to resume normal life, free from the irritation and blurred vision associated with dry eyes.
In a clinical study, 79 percent of patients who had the LipiFlow treatment reported improvement of dry eye symptoms within four weeks of treatment. Individuals who have had recent eye surgery, eye injury, herpes of the eye or chronic eye inflammation are not candidates for LipiFlow treatment. Possible side effects include redness, burning, stinging, discharge, blurred vision, dryness and sensitivity to light.
If you experience chronic itching, burning, scratching or blurred vision, contact Key-Whitman today. You may be suffering from Dry Eye Syndrome due to Evaporative Dry Eye. An exam with the Dallas dry eye specialists at Key-Whitman will determine the cause of your dry eyes as well as the most appropriate course of treatment.
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