Dry Eye Syndrome: Fix Your Dry, Irritated, Itchy Eyes Today.

Dry eye disease (DED), is a condition that affects millions of people. It is often a normal part of the aging process and becomes quite common as we get older. Other causes include exposure to environmental irritants; medications; injuries to the eye; and, certain health conditions, such as diabetes, thyroid deficiencies, autoimmune disorders (i.e., Sjogren’s Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus or HIV), Bell’s Palsy and Myasthenia Gravis.

Dry eye disease is literally the eye’s inability to produce an adequate amount of tears or the inability to produce a good quality tear. Strangely enough, some people who have dry eye syndrome actually tear excessively because the quality of the tear is not sufficient to stay on the front surface of the eyes.

The use of certain medications can also alter the eye’s ability to remain well lubricated. Some of the most common medications are:

Antihistamines
Decongestants
Blood pressure medications
Antidepressants
Anti-anxiety medications

Dry Eye Symptoms

Dry eye symptoms can vary from person to person. It is common for many of us to experience dry eye symptoms, but those with dry eye disease are likely to have a more severe degree of these symptoms, including:

Redness
Itching
Burning
Blurry vision
Excessive watering
Grittiness
Eye fatigue
Sensitivity to Light

Dry Eye Treatment

Your regular eye doctor may have prescribed one or more of the following treatments for your dry eye symptoms:

Artificial tears
Long-lasting lubricating gels
Ointments at bedtime
Temporary or permanent plugging of the tear ducts (“puntum”)
Change in medications that can cause dry eye
Prescription medication for chronic, moderate to severe dry eye (e.g., Restasis, Xiidra, Cequa)

If you have tried these treatments but are still experiencing Dry Eye Disease symptoms, like burning or gritty sensations, schedule an appointment for a dry eye evaluation at Woolfson Eye Institute.

Watch Video: Choosing a Dry Eye Treatment

TearCare®: Effective Dry Eye Treatment Option

An innovative, effective dry eye treatment that we offer at Woolfson Eye Institute is the TearCare system. TearCare is the only open-eye experience to treat dry eye disease (“open-eye experience” means that you can blink normally during the session).

The TearCare system offers several benefits to patients:

By unblocking the meibomian glands with the TearCare system, the tear film will become stabilized. That means the tear film will function properly again, which in turn improves the quality of tears.
The TearCare System reduces common dry eye symptoms like blurry vision, watery eyes, dryness and gritty/scratchy sensations.
Many patients experience improvement of dry eye symptoms after just one TearCare session. Our eye doctors will then make recommendations for future treatments based on your individual needs (the typical recommended treatment is every one to two years after the initial session).

TearCare is a safe, wearable technology that applies a thermal energy to target and unblock the meibomian glands to keep your tears healthy. You can blink normally throughout the entire procedure.

Most patients find the TearCare session to be painless and fast (one session lasts approximately 15 minutes).

If you’re interested in this innovative, effective treatment for dry eye disease, schedule your appointment with Woolfson Eye Institute. During your appointment with our dry eye specialists, we will determine if you could benefit from the TearCare system.

Our Dry Eye Specialists

Lauren Dyak, OD
Director, Woolfson Dry Eye Clinic

Gabriela “Gaby” Gutierrez, OD
Consultative Optometrist

Paven Korotana, OD
Consultative Optometrist

John Prenshaw, MD
Referral Ophthalmologist

Alina Usataia, OD
Associate Optometrist

Krishma Zaver, OD
Associate Optometrist

Causes of Dry Eye

Evaporative Dry Eye is caused by a condition known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). MGD refers the glands that produce the oily outer layer of the tears not functioning optimally, therefore tears evaporate too quickly and causes blurred vision and other symptoms of dry eyes. This is the leading cause of dry eye disease.
Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye is due to the tear gland not producing an adequate amount of tears to keep the surface of the eye healthy and comfortable.
Mixed Mechanism Dry Eye as the name says is a combination of both aqueous deficient and evaporative mechanisms.

How We Can Help

Most dry eye conditions can be treated effectively by your primary eye care provider. If MGD is one of the causes of your symptoms, you might be a good candidate for referral to Woolfson Eye Institute for treatment via an in-office procedure called LipiFlow. Lipiflow helps restore the oil glands to function more normal. Click here to learn more about MGD and how we can help.