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Dry Eyes
Dry Eye Center of Excellence at Southwestern Pennsylvania Eye Center
Dry eye and ocular surface disease affects over 25 million people in the United States. Because this disease is so prevalent in our society we have developed a Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease Center for Excellence. Our eye doctors are trained to provide the highest quality of dry eye care using the latest and most advanced diagnostic testing and treatments. Because this condition is often progressive, it is vital to treat dry eyes as soon as the diagnosis is made. A patient with dry eyes will have regularly scheduled visits to monitor for any complications or damage to the eye or vision that can occur with this disease.
If you have any of the dry eye symptoms listed below, man an appointment with one or our eye doctors today. We will assess the type and level of your dry eye and then customize a treatment plan specifically for you.
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What is Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye disease (DED) is a chronic progressive condition that develops when your eyes either do not produce enough tears or can not maintain enough tears to keep your surface of the eye lubricated. This can be caused by a reduction in overall tear production or an increase in tear evaporation from a lack of a lipid layer that is produced by your meibomian oil glands in the eyelid.
What are the symptoms of Dry Eyes?
- Burning or stinging
- Dry, itchy eyes
- Irritation
- Watery eyes
- Blurred vision
- Fluctuating vision
- Eye pain
- Foreign body sensation
- Decreased contact lens wear time
What Causes Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eyes can occur naturally as a result of aging or hormonal changes, typically in women especially after menopause. In fact, women over the age of 50 have a 50% greater risk of dry eye disease than men do of the same age. However, dry eye disease can occur at any age in both women and men. Dry eye disease can result from taking certain medications that reduce tear production such as antihistamines, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants. Environmental factors can cause drying out of the eyes in dry, dusty, smoky, and windy climates. Home air conditioners and heating systems and excessive time spent on computers or tablets can also cause dry eyes and exacerbate symptoms due to lack of blinking. Dry eye can also be associated with certain medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, diabetes and thyroid problems.
Blepharitis - A common cause of dry eye
Meibomian glands secrete the important protective oil layer that helps shield the surface of the eye and prevents the tear film from evaporating. When the meibomian glands become clogged, the tear film evaporates more rapidly, resulting in dry eye symptoms. Blepharitis is a common condition where the eyelids become inflamed and irritated, causing meibomian gland dysfunction. This is a chronic disease and can occur due to systemic or skin conditions, bacteria, or environmental issues such as windy or dusty conditions. If left untreated, the glands can deteriorate overtime and even disappear entirely. Your eye doctor will evaluate both the function and structure of your meibomian glands during your eye examination.
How is Dry Eye Diagnosed?
Dry eyes can be diagnosed by your eye doctor during your eye examination. Testing is also employed to aid in the diagnosis.
TearLab Osmolarity System - This non-invasive test can measure your tear film osmolarity in 20 seconds by taking only a nanoliter of tear fluid. The tear osmolarity will allow you to understand your “level” of disease. Your tear number will allow your doctor to determine the best course of treatment, and help make sure the treatment is working.
InflammaDry® - This is the first and only, rapid, in-office test that detects MMP-9, an inflammatory marker that is consistently elevated in the tears of patients with dry eye disease. This non-invasive test uses a sample of your tears and within 10 minutes, your results will be available. Knowing the presence and amount of inflammation is invaluable in guiding treatment.
Lipiscan™ Dynamic Meibomian Imager - This innovative high definition meibomian gland imager can take digital images of your meibomian gland structures in about a minute. Lipiscan allows for a direct view of the health of your meibomian glands. Treatment is then tailored based on the severity of your gland disease.
How Is Dry Eye Treated?
There are many treatment options for patients with dry eye disease. Treatment depends on the cause and type of dry eye as well as the severity of the disease. After a thorough examination and testing your eye doctor will make an individualized treatment protocol.
Artificial tears/ointments - Over the counter artificial tears during the day and ointments at night can supplement your natural tears
Eyelid hygiene - Eyelid cleansers improve dry eye symptoms by decreasing inflammation around the surface of the eye
Warm Compresses - Warm compresses can heat the eyelids and loosen thickened oil secretions in the meibomian glands
Nutritional Support - Omega- fatty acids improve oil layer secretion by reducing inflammation in the eyelids. This can be taken as fish oil or flaxseed supplements
Prescription eye drops - Prescription eye drops such as Restasis, Xiidra, or Cequa can reduce inflammation caused by dry eye disease.
Oral Antibiotics - Low dose antibiotics such as doxycycline can reduce inflammation and improve dry eyes.
Punctal Plugs - Punctal plugs block your tear ducts which stops tears from draining. This allows for more tears to stay in contact on the surface of your eye.
Autologous Serum - Your own natural tears contain many healing factors and anti-inflammatories not found in artificial tears. Your blood can be drawn, and tears can be made from the plasma for you to use daily
Amniotic Membranes - Amniotic membranes contain vital components to promote healing of your ocular surface. This can be placed on the surface of your eye in the doctor's office.
Customized Contact Lenses - These special contact lenses are used to retain your natural tears by wearing them daily
LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System - LipiFlow is a treatment device designed for effective removal of blocked meibomian glands as a result of blepharitis. This treatment allows for normal function of the glands resulting in production of your lipid layer of the tear film. The treatment is done in your doctors office taking only 12 minutes. Patients who undergo the LipiFlow treatment describe it as a gentle massaging of the eyelids.
Optilight Treatment
With treatments like OptiLight by Lumenis, we can help manage your dry eye symptoms and get
you back to seeing clearly and comfortably. Keep reading to learn more about OptiLight by
Lumenis and how it can improve your life.
