Dry Eye Disease Awareness Month: Treating Dry Eyes

July is Dry Eye Disease Awareness month. If you have been diagnosed with dry eyes or are experiencing the signs of dry eyes, you might be wondering how to treat the uncomfortable symptoms of dry eyes.

Dry eye disease, or dry eye syndrome, is a common irritating, uncomfortable and even painful eye condition caused by a lack of tear production or poor quality of tears produced. Tears provide lubrication and nourishment for the eyes; without proper tears, you might experience itching, burning or scratchy sensation in the eyes to more serious symptoms such as blurred vision.

Although dry eyes can be a chronic condition, there are treatment options available to keep your eyes comfortable and help prevent damage to your vision. Treating dry eyes depends on the patient’s symptoms and the type of dry eye. Treatment options for minor cases of dry eyes include artificial tears, ointments or supplements, such as the Science Based Health supplement for dry eyes, HydroEye®. Duct plugs can be used to conserve tears, keeping the natural tears in the eyes longer.

LipiFlow® is another dry eye treatment option. LipiFlow is treats not only the symptoms of dry eye, but also 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. Patients 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 are experiencing symptoms of dry eyes such as itching, burning, scratching or blurred vision, contact Key-Whitman today. The Dallas dry eye specialists at Key-Whitman will be able to diagnose dry eyes during a comprehensive eye exam and determine the cause of your dry eyes and the most appropriate course of treatment for you.