What Is A Dry Eye?
Eye Watering and Excessive Tearing: Dry Eye
Oddly enough, if you are prone to excessive eye watering or tearing, you might actually have a condition called dry eye syndrome. Dry eye occurs when the eyes do not produce sufficient tears or the tears evaporate too quickly.
There are two types of dry eye:
- Evaporative Dry Eye: accounting for 86% of all dry eye: caused by blockage to the eyelid glands (meibomian glands) which leads to a shortage of oil on the surface of the tears and quicker-than-normal tear evaporation.
- Aqueous Dry Eye: accounting for 14% of all dry eye: occurs when the lacrimal glands do not produce enough tears.
Symptoms of Dry Eye
- Watering/tearing
- Itching
- Stinging
- Redness
- Light sensitivity
- Eye fatigue
- Blurry vision
Treatment for Dry Eye
For some patients, over-the-counter or prescription eye drops will provide relief for dry eye symptoms. However, if these are ineffective you may need to have an eye doctor assess your situation and determine the root cause of your dry eye. Knowing the reason for your dry eye symptoms is the only way to successfully treat this condition.
At the Eye Center of Northern Colorado, our dry eye specialists may recommend:
- Punctal plugs to prevent tear drainage from the eyes
- RESTASIS® eye drops to increase tear production
- LipiFlow treatment to unblock the eyelid glands
- OptiLIGHT Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to release blockages of oil
Dry Eye Treatment With OptiLIGHT
Find dry eye relief at Eye Center of Northern Colorado with the first and only light therapy, FDA-approved for management of dry eye disease (DED) due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
OptiLIGHT uses precise, intense broad spectrum light to address the inflammation – one of the key underlining factors in dry eye disease due to MGD.
OptiLIGHT is specifically developed to reach the delicate contours of the treated area safely, effectively and gently.
Contact our dry eye experts at Eye Center of Northern Colorado today to see if OptiLIGHT IPL therapy is right for you.
How Does LipiFlow Work?
The LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System unblocks the eyelid glands, allowing them to resume production of complex natural oils. The treatment includes the application of precisely-controlled heat to the inner eyelid. The single-use activator applies adaptive pressure to stimulate the production of oils for tear film.
Is LipiFlow Right for You?
The LipiFlow treatment may not be right for your eyes. During an eye exam we can perform a series of evaluations to determine the root cause of your dry eye. We will use the non-invasive LipiView interferometer to assess your tear film and the Meibomian Gland EvaluatorTM to examine the quantity and quality of the oils.
Our dry eye specialists can perform the virtually painless LipiFlow treatment right in our office. Contact us today to schedule an eye exam to see if LipiFlow can provide relief for your dry eye symptoms.
