Dry Eye Management
What Are Dry Eyes?
Dry eye is when eyes don't feel moist, fresh and comfortable. It is a common condition that occurs when your tears can’t provide adequate lubrication for your eyes.
Tears can be inadequate and unstable for many reasons. It could mean your eyes aren’t making enough tears or maybe the tears being produced are of poor quality. Equally, the tears that are produced may evaporate from the surface of the eye faster than they should. This tear instability leads to inflammation and damage of the eye's surface.
Tears
The tear film is made up of three layers:
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Mucin layer - The layer closet to the eye which helps the eye remain lubricated.
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Aqueous layer - The middle layer which provides moisture and nutrients to the eye.
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Lipid layer - The outer layer which is a thin layer of oil that sits on the surface of the tears, preventing them from evaporating too quickly. This layer is produced by glands in the eyelids called the meibomian glands.
Causes of Dry Eye:
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Environmental factors such as central heating or air conditioning units.
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Long stretches on the computer or driving mean you don’t blink as effectively as you could.
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Some general health conditions and their management could play a part.
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Sjögrens Syndrome, an autoimmune condition, could result in dry eyes (and dry mouth).
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Certain medications such as anti acne, beta blockers, oral contraceptives, diuretics, decongestants and anti-depressants- please note: we do not recommend altering any prescription medication without discussing with your doctor.
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Hormonal imbalance such as pregnancy or menopause.
What Happens at a Dry Eye Consultation?
During a dry eye consulation, careful consideration is taken to your signs, symptoms, medical history and your day-to-day environment. Our specialised optometrist will undertake a dry eye specific examination using advanced diagnostic technology to examine the anterior eye and tears, checking tear quality and quantity. In addition, an in-depth anterior eye assessment will identify any corneal damage that may have been caused by dry eye.
Once all specific tests have been completed, we will provide you with a bespoke treatment plan, carefully selected products, and dietary suggestions which will allow you to alleviate your signs and symptoms. Not all eyes are identical, therefore every bespoke treatment plan will vary. However, our goal remains the same: to improve your tear quality and quantity so that the use of tear substitutes can be minimised throughout the day and night.
Some patients who suffer from dry eye caused by Blepharitis may benefit from a Blephex treatment. This treatment will gently exfoliate your eye lids and allow for a better baseline to continue your management effectively from home. During our dry eye consultation, we will determine whether a Blephex treatment would be beneficial for you.
Following the initial assessment, you will be invited back for another consultation, where we will follow up on your progress and fine tune your treatment plan if required.
The Tell-tale Signs of Dry Eye
Discomfort
You may experience burning, stingy eyes which feel gritty and light sensitive.
Foreign body sensation
This sensation often feels like something is in your eyes,
even though there is nothing there.
Redness
Your eyes may look bloodshot and sore, which always indicates there is a problem and requires attention.
Fatigue
Your eyes seem tired, especially during task specific visual performances like when reading, watching TV, working on screens or driving.
Watery eyes
This is often a misleading sign. In many cases the underlying issue of watery eyes is dry eyes. The eyes are producing too many, poor quality tears, which causes them to overflow and result in watery eyes.
Uncomfortable contact lenses
The issue of dry eye can appear when wearing contact lenses. This may be due to poorly fitted contact lenses or exceeding the recommended wearing time.
What is Blepharitis?
Blepharitis is an inflammation of the lids and the lashes which usually affects both eyes resulting in irritation and redness. It can be split into two types:
Anterior blepharitis - this affects the outside front edges of the eyelids, resulting in crusting. It may be caused by bacteria called staphylococcus and can appear like dandruff on the eyelashes.
Posterior blepharitis - also known as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD.) This is when the meibomian glands on the inside edge of the eyelids (behind the eyelashes) are affected. Debris can build up on the eyelids, blocking the glands, meaning the tears produced are not flowing effectively over the surface of the eyes.
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Blephex Treatment
During our comprehensive Dry Eye Consultation, we will evaluate whether a Blephex Treatment would be beneficial for your eye health. Blephex treatment cleans and exfoliates your eyelids and lashes by gently removing any debris and bacteria. Maintaining healthy eyelids can help manage and prevent conditions such as blepharitis and demodex, and eliminates the struggles caused by these conditions. A Blephex treatment will help you to maintain good eyelid hygiene, leaving your eyes feeling happier and less irritated.
In addition, Blephex treatment is the perfect solution after long wear of false eyelashes. We will remove your false eyelashes, deep clean along the upper and lower lid margins, and help you re-lubricate your natural lashes to support healthy eye lids. After this procedure, you will notice your eyes appear and feel much cleaner. Treatments are typically repeated at regular intervals depending on the severity of the inflammation or individual requirements.
In between treatments, we will recommend the best way to take care of the eye lids, including eye drops, lid wipes, heat therapy or nutritional supplements.