Dry Eye Treatments

Don’t Suffer In Silence with Dry Eye

Sustainable, long-lasting relief from Dry Eye Disease is possible!

Dry Eye Disease can have a significant impact on your quality of life, leading to pain, watery eyes, and even blurry vision. The most common treatment for Dry Eye Disease is over-the-counter eye drops. Unfortunately, over-the-counter eye drops do little to address the root cause of dry eye, leaving patients frustrated in an endless pursuit of relief. Wilmington Eye’s experienced providers offer some of the most advanced treatment options for Dry Eye Disease that provide patients with long-lasting results long after they’ve left the treatment room.

What is Dry Eye Disease?

If you suffer from eyes that are red or irritated, stinging and burning, or even tired and painful, you may be suffering from Dry Eye Disease. Dry Eye Disease occurs when your tears are no longer able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. Tears are necessary to maintain the health of your eyes and aid in providing clear vision. They also reduce the risk of eye infection and act as a natural cleaner, washing away foreign matter in the eye. When the production of tears or drainage is not in balance, the result is dry, red or irritated eyes. This is known as Dry Eye Disease. Dry Eye Disease is one of the most common eye conditions and affects an estimated 44 million Americans.

Open Dry Eye Treatment Guide

Causes of Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye is caused by a variety of things, including aging, hormonal changes such as menopause, poor habits such as staring at a computer screen for too long, certain illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Graves’ disease, and diabetes, improper use of contact lenses, and the environment.

MGD or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Blurred vision and dry, sore, crusty eyes are often the result of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, also known as MGD, is one of the specific causes of dry eye. MGD causes evaporative dry eye, which occurs due to blockage of the oil glands in the eyelids. When these glands get blocked or aren’t functioning at their fullest potential, signs and symptoms of Dry Eye can develop. Early detection and treatment are important to alleviate symptoms, improve your overall eyesight and eliminate the risk of permanent damage to the eyes.

iLux

iLux uses localized heat and pressure therapy that gently works to unblock meibomian glands and treat the root cause of MGD. This helps you feel better and see better! Treatment is delivered in as little as 8 minutes and provides fast acting, long-lasting relief. This innovative non-surgical treatment for MGD improves visual clarity, reduces eye irritation and dryness, and provides long-term relief from dry eye symptoms. With iLux, we are also able to capture digital images and video of the meibomian glands to evaluate a patient’s response and guide future treatment plans.

iLUX PROVIDES

• Simple, fast, non-surgical treatment for MGD, a specific type of Dry Eye
• Delivers fast acting, long-lasting results in as little as 8 minutes
• Alleviates dry eye symptoms by addressing the root cause
• Localized heat and pressure therapy for gland expression

BlephEX

A common cause of dry, itchy or irritated eyes is a condition called blepharitis. When the eyelids accumulate dirt and debris, a hard shell known as biofilm begins to form. Over time, this plaque-like build-up of biofilm and other difficult-to-remember debris can cause irritation and lead to dry, scratchy eyes. BlephEX is a new form of dry eye treatment that specifically targets the eyelids and lashes to remove debris and biofilm, helping patients maintain clean and healthy lids. This convenient, in-office procedure cleans your eyelids using a soft medical-grade micro-sponge with little to no discomfort. By gently and effectively cleaning the area around your eyelashes, BlephEX can reduce lid debris and improve your overall vision.

BlephEX PROVIDES

• Deep cleaning of the lids to keep eyes and ocular surface healthy
• Up to 50% reduction in lid debris
• Quick and painless cleansing of the lashes

LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System

LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System is an FDA-approved treatment for MGD that uses a cutting-edge device to heat up and massage away blockage in the glands in just 12 minutes. Using what’s called Vector Thermal Pulsation technology, heat is sent into the meibomian glands inside your eyelids. A combination of heat and pressure liquifies the oil in the glands, massages any blockages and clears the obstructions that are causing dry eye symptoms. Most people find the treatment relaxing and do not experience any pain with the procedure.

LIPIFLOW THERMAL PULSATION SYSTEM PROVIDES:

• Non-invasive treatment for dry eye performed in the office
• No downtime
• Improvement in symptoms often seen right away
• Relief from dry eye symptoms for up to 12 months

Intense Pulse Light Therapy

It’s estimated that roughly 82% of patients who suffer from Dry Eye Disease wish there was a more effective treatment. Now, there is! Intense Pulse Light Therapy, commonly referred to as IPL, directly addresses inflammation of the eyelids—one of the key underlying factors in dry eye disease. IPL therapy isn’t invasive and targets the problem areas on the upper and lower eyelids safely, effectively and gently. The Optilight IPL device has been specifically designed and tested with the dry eye patient in mind. This precise, intense broad-spectrum light device is the first and only IPL that’s FDA-approved to treat dry eye and has been proven to provide long lasting results.

INTENSE PULSE LIGHT THERAPY PROVIDES

• 2.7x improvement in tear break up time
• Non-invasive treatment for dry eye performed in the office
• Gentle, fast, no downtime
• Improvements are often reported after 2nd or 3rd treatments