Dry eye or dry eye syndrome happens when the surface of your eyes has a tear film imbalance. For most people, this occurs when the tears don’t produce enough tears or because the meibomian glands have become blocked. A healthy tear has three components: water, oil, and mucous.
Meibomian glands are located in the eyelids. They are tiny oil glands that release the oil, which coats the surface of the eye.
If the meibomian glands become blocked, they can’t produce the oil that’s necessary for having a healthy or stable tear film. When this happens, it’s a condition called meibomian gland disorder (MGD).
You may be suffering from dry eyes if you have any of the following symptoms:
Doctors are dry eye patients just like you. Often our doctors can relate to exactly what you may be experiencing.
Hear what they have to say about their own experiences and how they improved their daily lives.
Don’t wait to get relief.
Dry Eye is caused by decreased moisture on the surface of your eye resulting from either Meibomian Gland Disease or Blepharitis.
You’re at higher risk for dry eye if you do the following:
If your eyes are dry, it’s important to understand the root cause of what is making them dry to treat them.
LipiFlow is an FDA approved device that provides patients with both inner and outer lid therapy. This 12-minute in-office procedure uses thermal heat and massage to your eyelids unblocking meibomian glands with gentle, pulsating pressure. This massages out any liquified blockages in the glands, allowing your tear film to stabilize and go back to normal.
A common dermatology procedure used to treat patients with rosacea, sun damage, and broken blood vessels is one of the most innovative ways to treat dry eye disease. BBL uses the energy from the broadband light technology constricting the blood vessels and warming the meibomian glands. BBL is followed by a manual expression of the meibomian glands.
BlephEx is an in-office treatment for patients with Blepharitis. This procedure removes excess bacteria, biofilm, and bacterial toxins. For active cases of blepharitis, you should have BlephEx ™repeated every 4 months.
Remember, your Clemson Eye doctor can help you develop a dry eye treatment plan that is right for you.
Oasis TEARS Lubricant Eye Drops for mild to moderate dry eye and Oasis TEARS PLUS for moderate to severe dry eye. (Preservative Free)
Cyclosporin (RestasisⓇ) helps increase your body’s natural way to produce more tears, which may be reduced due to inflammation from chronic dry eye.
Lifitegrast ( XiidraⓇ), targets dry eye symptoms by treating inflammation on the surface of the eye.
Ocusoft Lid Scrub is a pre-lathered foam immediately upon depressing the control tip pump. It is used for treatment of mild to moderate blepharitis.
Ocusoft Hypochlor Spray is intended for cleaning and removing foreign material and debris from the application site, it can be effective in cases of eyelid discomfort when combined with a surfactant such as OcuSoft Lid Scrub for removing existing oil and debris from the eyelids.
Moist Heat Eye Compress opens oil glands and allows natural oils to flow back into the eye. The easy-to-use compress delivers an effective moist heat treatment. To use, simply microwave the compress for 20-25 seconds and apply for 10 minutes or as prescribed by your doctor. The compress helps stabilize the tear film, improves oil gland function and slows tear evaporation.
Omega Nutrition Supplements: Physician Recommended Nutraceuaticals (PRN) ultra-purified triglyceride (rTG) Omega-3 and Science Based Health (HydroEye) plant-based GLA (Black Currant seed).
NuLids is an FDA registered once-a-day at-home treatment device for patients with blepharitis and dry eye. Using this device once a day can help reduce the signs and symptoms associated with these conditions. It’s easy to use and only takes a minute to complete on both eyes. You can purchase this from your eye doctor at Clemson Eye, who will show you how to use it for the best results.
