Dry eyes are one of the most common eye problems of the last decade, causing patients to experience a range of unpleasant symptoms. Dry eyes take their name from their main symptom, and the number of patients with the condition has risen considerably – something which has been attributed to more time spent in front of digital screens than ever before. 

Common symptoms of dry eyes include:

• Dry, scratchy eyes

• Burning eyes

• Eye fatigue

• Soreness

• Inflammation around the eyes

• Redness

• Blurred vision

The symptoms may not sound serious, but they can prove to be debilitating, affecting your ability to do certain things and the quality of your day-to-day life. While there’s lots of treatments that claim to be able to resolve the effects of dry eyes, some work better than others. 

Here’s what you need to know about two of the most effective treatments available for resolving the effects of dry eye.

Lipiflow Treatment

LipiFlow is a very effective and successful treatment for treating dry eye that is caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). MGD occurs when the meibomian glands, which are responsible for producing the oil element of our tear film, become blocked. This blockage is normally caused by hardened oil deposits clogging the ducts, so that tear film doesn’t have the perfect balance of components that it needs to keep our eyes hydrated and comfortable.

LipiFlow treatment uses a combination of heat and physical pulses to break down these blockages. The warmth works to liquefy the oil so that it can be released more easily, while the pulses essentially massage the oil and push it out of the glands and onto the surface of the eyes. Once the blockages are cleared, the glands should be able to function to produce sufficient oil for your tear film again.

LipiFlow treatment is non-invasive and not painful, although you will experience some heat and pressure. LipiFlow is also very safe for your eyes, and there should be no unpleasant side effects to your treatment. You may notice a definite improvement in your dry eye symptoms after a single session of LipiFlow treatment, but some patients need to undergo multiple treatments to obtain the optimal effect.

Intense Pulse Light (IPL) Treatment

If your eye doctor believes that your meibomian glands simply aren’t producing enough oil for your tear film, or you are suffering from MGD, you may be referred for intense pulse light, or IPL, treatment. IPL treatment is a revolutionary new way of reducing the effects of dry eye that uses a series of rapid pulses of high energy light. Light therapy is used in many ways, including to perform various skin treatments. In IPL treatment, the light energy stimulates the meibomian glands to produce great quantity and quality of tear film.

IPL treatment, like LipiFlow, is painless and non-invasive. A single session may be enough to help alleviate your symptoms and improve your condition, but patients who are severely affected may need to have multiple sessions over the period of a few months in order to achieve optimal results, which can be maintained with annual top-up treatments.  

If you would like more information about dry eye symptoms or the treatments listed here, please contact our friendly eyecare team at (310) 796-5665.