Dry Eye Syndrome is a growing epidemic which affects people of ALL AGES. It’s fast becoming a public health issue.
My Dry Eyes are no big deal
Dry Eye symptoms fluctuate and may not reflect level of severity. Dry eye syndrome is progressive and irreversible. Prevention and management is important.
All I need is drops…right?
Lubricating eyedrops are only the tip of the iceberg and provide temporary relief. It is important to treat the cause of dry eyes
About dry eyes
What is Dry Eye Disease?
What causes Dry Eyes?
Dry Eye Assessment
Treating Dry Eyes
In-Clinic Dry Eye Treatments
Blephasteam and Gland Expression
IPL (intense pulsed light) treatment
Rexon-Eye treatment
Envision treatment
The Dry Eye Management Journey
Comprehensive eye examination
Regular, detailed eye examinations are important
to rule out other causes of eye discomfort such
as digital eye-strain, the need for glasses or
even serious eye health conditions.
The exam includes discussions of systemic
conditions, medications and lifestyle
considerations that contribute to dry eye disease.
Dry Eye Assessment
At Strathfield Eyecare, we utilise the Oculus
Keratograph K5M to take baseline measurements
of the ocular surface to identify the cause of
dry eye syndrome. The K5M collates a Jenvis
PRO Dry Eye Report which is highly useful for
accurate tracking of many aspects of dry eye disease.
Therapeutic Treatment For Dry Eyes
A suitable treatment regimen is implemented
which may involve a combination of lifestyle/diet
changes, prescription eye drops, at-home
supportive measures and in-clinic treatment.
Specific treatment is tailored to suit the individual
patient according to the type of dry eye disease,
symptoms and the patient’s individual needs.
Ongoing Dry Eye Management
Thankfully we are now better much equipped
to tackle the cause of dry eyes. Many of our
patients achieve an improvement in the function
of their meibomian glands.
Dry eyes however is chronic and progressive,
thus ongoing management and timely top-up
treatment if needed is important to continue optimal care.
Please feel free to contact us for an obligation free dry eye consultation and to see if you are suitable for Blephasteam and gland expression, Rexon-Eye Therapy, E-Eye IPL or Envision treatment.
Our team at Strathfield Eyecare are passionate about personalised and professional eye care. Our optometrist have special interest in dry eye management.
Shop 5, 23-25 Churchill Ave, Strathfield NSW 2135
(02) 9745 9800
admin@strathfieldeyecare.com.au
What is Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye disease is a very common eye condition that affects all age groups. There are several causes of dry eyes including insufficient production of tears and/or poor meibum oil quality. The latter is known to be the most common cause of dry eyes referred to as evaporative dry eyes or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Meibomian glands sit along the lid margins and they normally contribute clear oil to the tear film, slowing evaporation of the tear film to keep the surface of your eyes hydrated. At Strathfield Eyecare in addition to routine optometric care, we have a special interest in management of dry eye disease. We are passionate about managing patients’ dry eye disease by thoroughly examining the eyes and recommending treatment for dry eyes that is tailored to individual patient needs.
Dry eye disease is a global problem, afflicting over 30 million people in the United States alone, at least 344 million people worldwide, and is one of the most frequent causes of patient visits to eye care practitioners. [1]
The meibomian glands naturally deteriorate with age, however they are degrading more rapidly than ever due to our modern lifestyles. The message we at Strathfield Eyecare would like to emphasize is that MGD is chronic, progressive and LARGELY IRREVERSIBLE. Moreover, many people with serious MGD have no symptoms or minimal symptoms. By the time you notice symptoms there can often be a lot of Meibomian Gland loss.
Symptoms of dry eye disease can be very uncomfortable or even painful or cause decline in vision. Dry eyes can seriously decrease quality of life or even cause mental health decline.
Thankfully we now have treatment available that can reduce the progression of MGD and even reserve some MG decline. Early intervention and careful management can vastly improve the long-term outcome for dry eye sufferers.
Here are some images of meibomian glands below. They are called meibography and are taken with infra-red light.
What causes Dry Eyes
There are many factors that cause or contribute to dry eyes, these include:
Age:
As we all age, the production of tears naturally reduces and tear composition changes. This increases our risk of developing dry eyes.
Gender/Hormonal changes:
Hormones affect tear production and it is well known that females have a higher risk of developing dry eyes.
Environment:
Environments of low humidity e.g air conditioning and windy conditions contribute to dry eyes.
Medications:
Some medications can cause dry eyes. For example, antihistamines, beta blockers and diuretics. Long term use of eye drops used in the treatment of eye conditions such as glaucoma can also contribute to dry eyes.
Screen use:
Smart phones, laptops, tablets and computer are a big part of daily life. Screen time has been shown to decrease blink frequency contributing to dry eyes.
Ocular conditions:
Other eye conditions such as pterygia and blepharitis can also exacerbate dry eye disease.
Systemic conditions:
Some systemic conditions such as diabetes can cause dry eye disease. Some auto-immune conditions such as Sjögren’s can cause mild to severe dry eyes.
Contact lens use:
Long term contact lens use can also contribute to dry eyes in some people.
Refractive surgery:
Refractive surgery can worsen or cause dry eyes.
Dry Eye Assessment
At Strathfield Eyecare we utilise a device called the Oculus Keratograph K5M. The K5M allows measurements of several aspects of the ocular surface such as how quickly the tears break up and how healthy the meibomian glands are and collates a report called the Jenvis PRO Dry Eye Report.
The Jenvis Pro Dry Eye Report from the Keratograph K5M helps identify the cause of dry eye syndrome quickly and reliably. We use the K5M to form a comprehensive baseline and with subsequent follow up exams we can quantify changes over time. This allows for accurate tracking of many aspects of dry eye disease.
Treating Dry Eyes
At Strathfield Eyecare in addition to routine optometric care, we are passionate about the early detection and management of dry eye disease. A dry eye assessment allows us to thoroughly examine the eyes and determine the underlying cause of dry eye to best tailor the treatment plan to each individual patient’s needs. The initial assessment includes assessment of the tear film, quality of the ocular surface, quality and quantity of the blink, the structure of meibomian glands, the quality and expressibility of the meibomian oil, eyelid hygiene and structure, lifestyle considerations, diet and more.
There are well-known home regimes for dry eye management such as lubrication and warm compresses. These support a healthy ocular surface and give short-term dry eye relief, however they do little to treat the cause of dry eyes. In-clinic dry eye treatments aim to get to the root cause of dry eyes – treating the meibum glands to improve gland function for prolonged dry eye relief and to significantly retard further damage to these glands. At Strathfield Eyecare, we offer several state of the art, in-clinic options to treat the root cause of your dry eyes. Dry eye management also needs a wholistic approach. Thus discussion of good lifestyle and nutrition to support your eye health is vital. At Strathfield Eyecare we love your meibomian glands and want to keep them alive and healthy!!!
Blephasteam and Gland Expression
Blephasteam delivers a moist heat therapy around the eyelids aimed to soften the solid or blocked lipids into more viscous oil again. It can enhance the quality of the lipid layer by allowing the natural oils/meibum flow to improve. The improved oily layer that is formed will reduce tear evaporation.
Blephasteam goggles are more effective than hot compresses because they can heat the oil glands to an appropriate temperature for a longer period of time than hot compresses allow. After wearing the Blephasteam goggles for 10 minutes, manual expression of the glands is also needed to unblock some of the oils from the glands.
Ongoing Blephasteam and expression therapy therefore help to treat the cause of dry eyes and dramatically slow down dry eye progression.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatment
IPL (or IRPL – intense regulated pulsed light treatment) is non-invasive treatment that aims to restore normal function of the meibomian glands by stimulating the glands to increase meibum secretion and improve the secretion quality. This is achieved by reducing the bacterial load and softening the hardened meibum within the glands, and treating telengiectasic blood vessels to help disrupt the cycle of inflammation. The E-Eye model is utilised in Strathfield Eyecare, which is FDA approved and is a medically registered device for dry eye treatment.
The video below shows how IPL stimulates the glands to reduce blink rate, red eyes and the symptoms of dry eyes.
This Video shows the lifestyle changes of dry eye patients after IPL therapy.
Rexon-Eye treatment
Another type of dry eyes is aqueous deficient dry eyes. It is caused by a decrease in tear production by the lacrimal gland and is seen in up to one-third of dry eye disease and can be present alongside autoimmune disorders. Rexon-eye is the ONLY treatment available that effectively delivers a stable and durable effect on BOTH evaporative (MGD-meibomian gland dysfunction) AND aqueous deficient dry eye. It is very effective even if you only have MGD.
REXON-EYE treatment is pleasant, relaxing and delivers a warm and calming sensation. REXON-EYE treatment addresses ALL FORMS of Dry Eye disease, both evaporative and aquaeous deficient and is proven clinically by both, subjective and objective measurements.
Rexon-Eye is a non-invasive and durable treatment for all types of dry eye disease. Thanks to its exclusive patented QMR Technology, Rexon Eye stimulates the metabolism and the periocular glands (Meibomian glands / Lacrimal glands) on a cellular level, delivering a long-term relief to dry eye sufferers.
Links to papers about the efficacy of Rexon-Eye treatment:
This revolutionary in-office device provides a customised multi-modal approach to treating meibomian gland dysfunction and relieving dry eye symptoms. Envision combines precise bipolar radiofrequency and intense pulsed light energies to target the root causes of dysfunctional oil glands and improve the quality and quantity of tears.
The small, delicate area around the eyes requires specialised treatment. Envision's applicators are uniquely designed for safe, effective delivery around the ocular adnexa. Precise depth and energy control ensures patients experience optimal outcomes without damage to surrounding tissue.
Meibomian gland dysfunction is the leading culprit in dry eye disease. Other common causes that we can treat with Envision include blepharitis, rosacea, styes, and chalazion. Envision can improve tear film stability, reduce inflammation, and enhance meibum quality. By addressing the underlying issues, Envision provides lasting relief and improves patient comfort and quality of life. We pride ourselves on utilising the latest technologies to promote ocular health and optimise vision for every patient.
This video shows the use of Forma-I to treat Meibomian gland dysfunction.
This video shows the use of Lumecca to reduce inflammation associated with dry eyes.
