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Bothered By Dry Eyes?

The Dry Eye specialists at Pacific Eye Institute see a fair share of dry eye issues. While many cases of dry eye can be soothed with simple drops, you should know that dry eye is a progressive condition that could lead to vision problems. Finding the most effective treatment depends on the right diagnosis of what is causing the problem.  At Pacific Eye Institute we offer a wide variety of to relieve dry eyes,  schedule a consultation today to get started!

 

What is Dry eye?

Dry Eye Syndrome is a disorder of the eye’s tear film that causes decreased tear and moisture production. Your eyes may not be producing enough tears, or they may not be producing high-quality tears. 

There are two types of dry eye:

  • Evaporative Dry Eye.
    This is the most common type of dry eye that is caused by blockage to the eyelid glands (meibomian glands). This blockage leads to a shortage of oil on the surface of the tears and quicker-than-normal tear evaporation.
  • Aqueous Dry Eye.
    This type of dry eye occurs when the lacrimal glands do not produce enough tears.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

  • Scratchy and burning feeling in the eyes
  • The feeling of having something stuck in your eye
  • Heightened sensitivity to smoke or wind in the eyes
  • Light sensitivity
  • Decreased vision
  • Tired eyes from reading or trying to focus on an object
  • Random blurry vision that temporarily improves with rapid blinking

There are many reasons why you may have dry eye:

  • Aging (over age 50)
  • Medications (decongestants, antihistamines, antidepressants, birth control, etc.)
  • Pregnancy
  • Menopause (hormone replacement therapy)
  • Seasonal allergies
  • Environmental factors (dry air, wind, dust, smoke, etc.)
  • Screen usage (extended exposure to computers, phones, etc.)
  • Eye surgery
  • Autoimmune disorders (Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)
  • Diabetes
  • Eye disease

A Key Culprit: Poor Quality Tears

Sometimes there are enough tears, but the tear quality (chemical composition) does not keep the eyes moist. The most common imbalance occurs when tears don’t have enough oil composition due to blocked oil glands near the eyelashes’ base. Several conditions can cause this:

  • Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (blocked tear ducts)
  • Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids)
  • Rosacea and other skin disorders
View Video

The best way to know if you have treatable dry eyes is to schedule a dry eye consultation. To properly treat dry eye syndrome, Pacific Eye Institute’s dry eye specialists must diagnose the underlying cause of your condition. From here, we can recommend treatment options that will be the most effective for your unique situation.

Our dry eye treatments for Inland Empire patients will depend on the root cause of your condition. Treatments may include:

  • LipiFlow®: LipiFlow is an in-office procedure that opens and clears blocked glands allowing improved production of oils (lipids) needed for the tear film.
  • Lid Scrubs / BlephEx®: This is a gentle in-office procedure that cleans the eyelids using a medical-grade sponge and alleviates both blepharitis and Dry Eye symptoms.
  • Artificial Tears: Lubricant eye drops aimed at correcting dryness and irritation associated with deficient tear production.
  • Restasis®: Restasis is a prescription eye drop that reduces inflammation and increases your eye’s natural ability to produce tears.
  • Pred Healon: A steroid eyedrop used to alleviate inflammation.
  • Punctal plugs/Cautery: Punctal plugs are small medical devices inserted into the tear duct (punctal) of an eye to block the duct. This prevents the drainage of natural tears from the eye. Thermal cautery may be used to secure the tear duct permanently.
  • Topical Steroids: An anti-inflammatory eye drop therapy used to reduce inflammation
  • Heat Eye compression masks: Moist heat compress that relieves dry eyes.
  • Vitamins: Omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA and EPA) may help decrease symptoms or irritation that Dry Eye causes. Foods such as salmon, tuna, flaxseed, chia seeds, soy, and nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
View Video

About Lipiflow®

Our patients have great things to say about Lipiflow® – watch the video to learn how one of our patients feels about her decision to have this simple in-office procedure at Pacific Eye Institute.

LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System

If your dry eye is caused by evaporative dry eye, or a blocked eyelid gland also known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) you may be a candidate for Lipiflow® at Pacific Eye Institute.

LipiFlow® is a proven, in-office, FDA cleared treatment that unblocks the meibomian glands and restores natural oil production in your eyes. This is a painless procedure in which your dry eye specialist will apply therapeutic heat and gentle massaging on your eyes to unblock the eyelid glands and stimulate the production of complex natural oils for your tear film.

Cost of Lipiflow®?

Some treatment options are not covered by insurance. Our team can discuss costs with you during your dye eye appointment. We also have financing options available.


Lipiflow Evaluation

Our doctors can determine if LipiFlow® is right for your eyes by using the non-invasive LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer to assess your tear film.

The LipiView® Evaluation will help us determine the thickness of the lipid layer in the eye with nanometer accuracy, it captures your eye’s blink dynamics and images the meibomian gland structure. This allows our dry eye specialists to formulate the optimal treatment path to manage and eliminate any patient’s dry eye symptoms.

Some treatment options are not covered by insurance. Our team can discuss costs with you during your dye eye appointment.

Reasons to Schedule a Dry Eye Evaluation

  • Your eyes feel tired, irritated, burn, are red or if your eyes just bother you
  • You have seen an eye doctor, but your eyes still aren’t feeling better
  • You spend a great deal of time reading a hand-held device, computer, documents, books, watching TV or driving
  • You would simply like to see and feel better!

At Pacific Eye Institute our goal is to diagnose and treat your dry eye early to help you feel better, see better and to keep your eyes from progressively getting worse. We want to keep your eyes healthy for the rest of your life!


Dry Eye Self-Evaluation

If you experience symptoms of dry eye, take our online dry eye self-evaluation for more information:

To learn more about dry eye treatments in the Inland Empire, contact Pacific Eye Institute today to schedule an eye exam.

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