Dry Eye

Dry Eye Syndrome is a common pathology affecting up to 30% of the population. It is more common in females than males, and symptoms increase as you get older.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction is widely believed to be the main cause of dry eye.

If you’re looking for relief for MGD and dry eyes in Kempsey or the surrounds, book an appointment with Masons Eyecare.

Symptoms And Causes

Dry eye symptoms include irritated, itchy, and watery eyes. Dry eyes can cause great discomfort in your day to day life; and can even prevent you from performing everyday tasks such as working on a computer or staying in an air-conditioned environment.

Several aspects of our modern-day lifestyle can increase your risk of developing dry eyes. This includes smartphone and computer use, artificial lights, driving a car, wearing contact lenses, and excessive exposure to air conditioners and air pollution.

• Reduced tear production as you age
• Certain weather conditions (especially hot, dry, dusty, smoky, and windy weather)
• Hormone-related changes
• Artificial air from hairdryers or fans blowing in your face
• Certain medicines

What Is MGD?

Dry eyes usually develop due to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). These glands, located inside your bottom eye-lids, are responsible for the creation of a tear film that keeps the eyes moisturised.

In an increasingly polluted environment, where we are often exposed to artificial lights, our eyes are regularly aggravated, causing the Meibomian Glands to become over-stimulated.

When this happens, they may fail to create a tear film that is strong enough to protect eyes from drying up, leading to what is called Dry Eye Syndrome.

Short-term relief: eye drops
Artificial eye drops are the most common treatment for dry eyes. While they can be effective, eye drops often offer insufficient relief for the discomfort felt by patients.

Long-term relief: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Since 2013, IPL technology has been used to treat dry eyes in a modern, non-invasive way. IPL is a medical device developed for the treatment of MGD. It is designed to offer long-term results for dry eye sufferers and the treatment itself is fast and gentle.

How Can IPL Help?
IPL does not act on the Meibomian Glands themselves. Rather, it indirectly affects the glands by stimulating a connected nerve. The flash of light emitted by the device stimulates the connected nerve, creating neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters then directly stimulate the Meibomian Glands, which leads to dry eye relief.

The Treatment

To prepare for treatment, our eyecare professionals will apply a hydrogel to your skin and provide a pair of goggles for your eyes.

The treatment itself lasts just a few minutes and involves applying flashes of light to your lower eyelid. These flashes are gentle, and no other procedure is required.

You can expect immediate results that improve as you continue treatment. For the best results, patients should attend four sessions over two and a half months. After just two sessions, you can expect short-term relief, with longer lasting dry eye relief becoming noticeable after the third session.

• DAY 01
  After one session, expect around one full week of dry eye relief
• DAY 15
  After two sessions, expect around two full weeks of dry eye relief
• DAY 45
  After three sessions, expect around 18 months of continuous dry eye relief
• DAY 75
  After three sessions, expect around 29 months of continuous dry eye relief

A total of four sessions are recommended for optimum results. The third treatment is the trigger for long lasting efficiency. Additional sessions can be undertaken depending on patient needs.

• Do you suffer from blurred vision?
• Are you over 40 years old? Are you post-menopausal?
• Do your eyes often burn?
• Do you wake up with mucus around your eyelids?
• Do you wear contact lenses?
• Do you sometimes have red eyes?
• Are you watching a screen (TV /computers/ smartphone) a few hours a day?
• Do you have scratchy/ itchy eyes?
• Are your eyes sensitive to bright light?

If you have said YES to any of the above… Then you are very likely to be prone to dry eye syndrome.

Don’t hesitate to discuss dry eye assessment and treatment with either Ben or Naomi. Dry eyes are not only uncomfortable – the damage caused to the surface of your eye could also increase your sensitivity to bright light. To address the symptoms of dry eyes in Kempsey and the Macleay Valley, make an appointment with our local team today.