Dry Eye Therapy | Phoenix | Van Buren Optical

What Is Dry Eye?

Dry eye is a chronic condition that occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears, leading to dryness. Your optometrist can detect dry eye during a comprehensive eye exam.

Dry eye often causes stinging, burning, redness, and excessive tearing of the eyes. These symptoms can be quite uncomfortable and interfere with your daily life.

At Van Buren Optical, we offer several treatments to help you find long-term relief from dry eye symptoms so you can go back to living life with visual comfort.

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What Causes Dry Eye?

There are many causes of dry eye, but meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the most common. The tiny glands that line your eyelids are the meibomian glands, and they produce oil that keeps your tears from evaporating too quickly. When clogged, they can’t release the oil, leading to dry, uncomfortable eyes.

Age, environmental factors, and underlying medical conditions can also play a role in dry eye.

What Is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction?

MGD is a chronic and progressive condition where the meibomian glands become clogged or inflamed, disrupting the oil production in your tears and leading to an imbalance in the tear film. This imbalance causes dry eye symptoms like burning, stinging, and discomfort. While age is a factor, MGD can also be linked to other conditions, like rosacea, blepharitis, and diabetes.

In the early stages of MGD, you may not have any symptoms. But as it progresses, you may experience burning or stinging in your eyes, blurred vision, and excessive tearing. Environmental factors, such as dry climate, prolonged use of electronic devices, and contact lens wear can also contribute to MGD.

Types of Dry Eye

There are 2 main types of dry eye:

Aqueous deficient dry eye occurs when the tear glands don’t produce enough tears to keep the eyes hydrated.
Evaporative dry eye occurs when there is an issue with the oil-producing glands in the eyelids, leading to increased evaporation of tears.

Each time you blink, your tears spread across the surface of your eye, creating a moist and lubricated environment. Without these tears, your eyes can become irritated.

How We Treat Dry Eye

At Van Buren Optical, we use several methods to treat dry eye symptoms. No matter the current state of your eye health or the extent of your symptoms, we work hard to help you find relief.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy

Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy uses gentle pulses of light to target inflammation caused by MGD. By targeting the skin around the eyes, IPL reduces inflammation and bacterial growth and helps unclog the meibomian gland, improving oil production.

Forma Radiofrequency

Forma radiofrequency is a noninvasive anti-inflammatory treatment that uses heat energy to break down oil buildup in the meibomian glands. As the blockage is cleared, the tears can flow through the glands again. This treatment also targets problematic blood vessels and microbial infections. After one treatment, you should experience an improvement in dry eye symptoms.

Warm Compresses

Warm compresses can be a simple and effective way to address MGD. The warmth from the compress helps to soften and melt hardened oil in the glands, making it easier for them to secrete the necessary oils for your tears. This treatment is often recommended as part of a daily routine to help manage MGD.

Get Relief for Dry Eye

Dry eyes shouldn’t hold you back, but the discomfort they cause can disrupt your daily activities. Your comfort is our top priority when you walk in the door. We’ll work with you to find solutions and get your eyes feeling refreshed again.

If you’re experiencing dry eye symptoms, call us today to book an appointment and get the personalized care you need.

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