We are committed to healthy vision. And as Dry Eye experts we offer specialized attention through our Dry Eye Clinic. We understand your frustration with the limitations of traditional therapies and are committed to bringing you the best technology available to treat this uncomfortable disease – so that you can enjoy the greatest possible relief.
lt’s time for a revolutionary approach to Dry Eye treatment.
If you’ve been suffering with this painful condition – or think you may have it – we can determine the cause of your symptoms and apply therapy appropiate to your specific needs that may make your daily discomfort a thing of the past. We also offer the new LipiFiow® thermal pulsation treatment, if you suffer from evaporative Dry Eye you can now get this treatment in our office. With just one treatment, you may experience sustained relief.
If you suffer from any of these symptoms from time to time you may benefit from a visit to our Dry Eye clinic.
• Dryness
• Discomfort and irritation
• Grittiness or feeling of a foreign body in the eye
• Burning or stinging sensation
• Tearing
• Redness
• Discharge
• Tiredness
• Itching
• Vision disturbance
• Sensitivity to light
Evaporative Dry Eye, which accounts for 86%* of all dry eye cases is caused by blockages in the Meibomian glands located in your eyelids.
* Lemp MA, et al. Distribution of aqueous deficient and evaporative dry eye in a clinical-based patient population. Cornea. In press.
This condition of obstructed glands is known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. These glands are responsible for creating the lipid (oil) layer of tears. When the glands aren’t working as they should, you don’t have enough tear film oil. And your tears – which lubricate your eyes and keep them comfortable – evaporate too quickly. An insufficient oil layer can cause your tears to evaporate 4x-16x faster.
Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye occurs when the lacrimal glands do not create a sufficient amount of aqueous (water) to keep the eyes moist.
What are some of the risk factors for Evaporative Dry Eye?
• Hormonal changes in women during menopause – particularly decreasing levels of estrogen- can cause thickening of the oils secreted by the meibomian glands, which results in blockages.
• Decreased estrogen levels may enhance conditions under which staphylococcal bacteria can proliferate in the meibomian glands. This results in a decreased oil secretion rate.
• Additional factors that may cause or exacerbate meibomian gland dysfunction include age, contact lens use and hygiene, cosmetic use, and illnesses, particularly diabetes.
Common symptoms of Dry Eye
• Dryness
• Discomfort and irritation
• Grittiness or feeling of a foreign body in the eye
• Burning or stinging sensation
• Tearing
• Redness
• Discharge
• Tiredness
• Itching
• Vision disturbance
• Sensitivity to light
How Dry Eye can negatively impact your vision – and your life.
The symptoms of Dry Eye can be uncomfortable- and a big burden. Basic visual tasks, such as reading, using a computer, driving or watching television may become difficult. Wearing contact lenses may be impossible. And, you might find that symptoms worsen later in the day, keeping you from enjoying the activities you want to do.
Underlying the considerable discomfort is a real physical condition that needs treatment to stop the cycle of Dry Eye deterioration and worsen ing symptoms. Dry Eye is a chronic disease- and without proper management, the deterioration may look like this:
• Increased evaporation of tears
• Unstable tear film
• Damage to the eye surface
• Further discomfort
• Inflammation and cell damage
• Fluctuation and decrease in vision
LipiFiow® is designed to provide relief, so you can get on with your life.
Evaporative Dry Eye can be a thing of the past – with LipiFiow®
If you’re ready to get started, Contact Us to schedule an assessment appointment. Reduce your dependence on drops or maybe even
eliminate them. Goodbye, daily therapies. Hello LipiFiow®.
How do we determine if you are suffering from Dry Eye?
In our Dry Eye Clinic we will conduct a series of evaluations and determine the likely cause of your Dry Eye symptoms.
First, you will complete a Dry Eye lifestyle questionnaire – this brief assessment allows us to understand how your eyes feel on a daily basis.
If the questionnaire indicates symptoms beyond mild, we will proceed with LipiView®- This technology allows the physician to evaluate the lipid (oil) layer on your eye.
Here’s how it works: LipiView® takes extremely detailed images of your eye’s tear film.
The procedure is non-invasive, can be performed in our office, and takes less than five minutes. If you’ve ever had a comprehensive eye exam, LipiView® will feel similar. The tear film can be clearly seen as an array of colors that are reflected when a light source is directed towards the front surface of the eye. Readings are instantly calculated and displayed on
the LipiView® monitor.
Typically, our physician will perform a Meibomian gland evaluation.
LipiView® is an imaging device that is intended for use by a physician in adult patients to capture images of the tear film. The following conditions may affect the assessment of a patient’s tear film using
the LipiView®:
• Use of ophthalmic drops such as artificial tear lubricants, ointments, and medications. Patients should not use oil-based ophthalmic drops (e.g., Soothe®, Restasis®) for at least 12 hours prior to LipiView® assessment. Patients should not use ointments for at J,east 24 hours prior to LipiView® use. Patients should wait at least 4 hours after the instillation of all other ophthalmic drops prior to LipiView® use.
• Soft or rigid contact lens wear. Patients should remove contact lenses at least 4 hours prior to device use.
• Use of oil-based facial cosmetics around the eye.
• Eye rubbing.
• Recent swimming in a chlorinated pool. Patients should not swim for at least 12 hours prior to LipiView® use.
• Any ocular surface condition that affects the stability of the tear film. These conditions include disease, dystrophy, trauma, scarring, surgery, or abnormality.
Following these evaluations, we will then determine whether or not you have Evaporative Dry Eye or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and if you are a candidate for LipiFiow®.
LipiFiow®, the groundbreaking treatment, addresses the cause of Evaporative Dry Eye.
If you’ve been unable to receive long-lasting relief from the over-the counter or prescription remedies you’ve tried, it may be because they haven’t been targeting the primary cause of your condition -the blockage of your Meibomian glands located in your eyelids. Perhaps you7Ve tried things like eye drops and warm compresses, which many find inconvenient and only offer short-term relief.
The LipiFiow® Thermal Pulsation System, by TearScience®, is a signifi cant technological shift managing evaporative dry eye. With a single pro cedure, applying a combination of directed heat and pulsatile pressure, many find a single treatment effective in relieving the blockage of their Meibomian glands. The LipiFiow® System is intended for the application of localized heat and pressure therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye. Opening the blocked glands may allow your body to resume its natural production of tear film oil.
NO OTHER DRY EYE THERAPIES DO WHAT THE THERMAL PULSATION SYSTEM CAN!
LipiFiow® treatment is clinically proven with sustained results. In a clinical study about 79% of patients reported an improvement in overall dry eye symptoms after a single LipiFiow® treatment. Depending on the severity of your specific condition and your response to treatment, you may need to repeat the LipiFiow® treatment periodically as your symptoms return over time.
With LipiFiow® – and regular checks and ongoing care to monitor your progress- let us help you experience Dry Eye relief like never before.
Goodbye vaporative Dry Eye. Get started today! If you’re ready to kick Evaporative Dry Eye, all it takes is a phone call to get stmted. Make on evaluation appointment to in our Dry Eye Clinic and determine if you’re a canidate for LipiFiow®.
What actually happens during a LipiFiotreatment?
The LipiFiow® Activator (a disposable eyepiece) is inserted under your lower and upper eye lid and is shaped to prevent contact with your cornea. Once in place, you simply recline in the treatment chair and experience the 12 minute procedure. In a clinical study, 32% of patients reported no discomfort and 48% of patients noted awareness of pressure without pain during the LipiFiow treatment. The average total Meibomian gland score for patients who received a single LipiFiow treatment more than doubled from 6.3 ± 3.5 glands at the baseline to 16.7 ± 8.7 glands at 4 weeks. As previously mentioned, 79% of patients treated with LipiFiow in the clinical study reported an improvement in overall dry eye symptoms.
Why is LipiFiow® superior to other Dry Eye therapies?
If you’re a moderate or severe Evaporative Dry Eye sufferer, life can seem like a constant battle to alleviate symptoms. Those drops and warm compresses become a regular ritual. You’ve tried blinking exercises and lid scrubs. And you avoid wearing contact lenses and extended sessions in front of the computer.
If this sounds familiar, you may need LipiFio. It’s the breakthrough treatment for evaporative Dry Eye. LipiFiois:
• The first and only treatment that addresses the cause of Evaporative Dry Eye at the source, allowing your eyelid glands to produce the oils required for a healthy tear film. Other treatments – warm com presses and drops – just give you temporary symptomatic relief.
• The only treatment that can give you sustained relief through improved gland function. Other treatments require daily, and some times even hourly, attention to keep your Evaporative Dry Eye under control.
• A powerful step in managing Dry Eye disease, providing symptom relief and helping stop the cycle of Dry Eye deterioration and worsening symptoms.