Patients who are contact-lens intolerant, complain of ocular dryness, burning, foreign body sensation, or experience blurred vision while reading may have dry eye and could benefit from a comprehensive examination in the Dry Eye Clinic.
About Us
The Dry Eye Clinic is designed to specifically test and treat patients who suffer from diseases that cause the eyes to feel dry.
Our Services
Many eye conditions can cause a feeling of dryness, so an accurate diagnosis of dry eye is necessary before appropriate treatment can be provided. The accurate diagnosis and management of dry eye require special tests that go beyond a basic eye exam.
Dry Eye Symptoms
Symptoms related to dry eye that include but are not limited to:
Gritty, itching, or stinging sensation
Excessive tearing; redness; discharge
Eyes feeling tired
Increased light sensitivity
Constant use of eye drops
Eyes feeling dry
Discomfort may worsen late in the day
Available Treatments
We offer a number of specialized treatments for dry eye. Click on an item from the list to learn more about each treatment.
BlephEx is a device designed to remove excess bacteria, biofilm, and bacterial toxins from the upper and lower eyelid margins for blepharitis management.
IPL, used commonly in dermatology to treat rosacea and reduce telangiectasia (tiny, new blood vessels), is now being used to treat dry eye disease. Specifically, IPL treats the most common cause of dry eye disease – meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Inflammation in MGD is associated with abnormal blood vessel growth around the meibomian glands leading to the secretion of harmful inflammatory markers. Inflammation negatively impacts the gland and the quality of oil which can lead to reduced secretion, gland clogging, and gland loss associated with intense symptoms of dry eye.
During in-office IPL treatment, a strategic level and frequency of light pulses are administered to the area around the eyes to generate heat that shrinks the abnormally growing blood vessels. Reducing the presence of these vessels reduces inflammation in and around the meibomian glands, improving the quality and secretion of oils.
Lipiflow is a device specifically designed for removing Meibomian glands blockages by administering heat and applying massages to the eyelids, allowing the glands to effectively produce the oils that make up the top layer of the tear film. The Berkeley study shows that more severe cases of oil gland blockage and symptoms tend to achieve better outcomes with this in-office procedure, compared with mild cases.
Meibography is an IR-based imaging system used to image Meibomian glands in both upper and lower eyelids. Some characteristic changes of the oil gland morphology can reflect the severity of the Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
TearCare is a device that administers adjustable heat directly to the upper and lower eyelids to liquefy the oil in the Meibomian glands. This in-office heating treatment is followed by manual expression of Meibomian glands by the clinician.
