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Dry Eye Treatment

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What is Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye is a common and often uncomfortable eye condition caused by various factors that disrupt the normal functioning of tears and the tear film. Additionally, symptoms can be aggravated by environmental factors like low humidity, prolonged screen time, or even certain medications. Left untreated, dry eye can lead to more severe eye issues, making it crucial to address its symptoms and seek appropriate treatment for lasting relief and eye health. Individuals with dry eye typically experience symptoms such as:

What is Blepharitis? Don’t I just have Dry Eye?

Blepharitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the eyelids, often caused by bacteria or Demodex mites. Many individuals diagnosed and treated for “dry eye” may have blepharitis. Inflammation on the eye’s surface is common in MGD, dry eye, and blepharitis.

Dry Eye Assessment

At Grand Rapids Eye Care, we are proud to offer advanced dry eye treatments, such as iLUX® and BlephEx®. To learn more about how the team at Grand Rapids Eye Care can help relieve your dry eye symptoms, call our office to schedule a dry eye assessment.

This assessment includes:

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What is a Dry Eye Assessment?

Oculus Keratograph 5M

Grand Rapids Eye Care has the Oculus Keratograph 5M, which measures the curvature of the cornea, the front surface of the eye. It also contains software that can assess and help diagnose the many different types of DED. The Oculus Keratograph 5M measures tear film thickness, tear film dynamics, tear film evaporation, conjunctival redness, and meibomian gland dysfunction. Then, it generates a printed summary for each patient with instructions and recommendations. The Keratograph provides a map to dry eye relief and can track progress along the way.

Scheduling Your Assessment

Please see our treatment forms for some of Dr. Kresnak’s favorite treatments for Dry Eye Disease. For a dry eye assessment, please call our office for an appointment. In most cases, we can bill this condition as a medical exam. We do not charge extra for the use of the Keratograph other than the portions that can be billed towards medical insurance.

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Dry Eye Treatment Options

Meibomian Gland Expression

The Meibomian glands are oil-producing glands located in the eyelids. They are responsible for producing an important layer of our tears. The oily layer of the tears prevents the tears from evaporating and plays a role in tear film stability. There are two other layers of the tears, the aqueous layer and the mucin layer. The aqueous layer, the watery layer of the tears, accounts for most of the tear volume and intensifies during emotional responses, such as crying. Meanwhile, the mucin layer is a very thin layer that helps tears adhere to the structures of the eye.

All three of these layers need to work together in a properly functioning tear system. If either of these layers do not function properly, it can cause Dry Eye Syndrome (DES), characterized by symptoms such as burning, itching, redness, a sensation of foreign bodies, mild to moderate vision impairment, and, in severe cases, debilitating ocular pain.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)

Studies have shown that Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is present in up to 70% of all cases of DES. MGD results when the oily secretion changes consistency and becomes trapped in the gland. Without the oily tear layer, the tears become unstable and evaporate. This leaves the ocular surface exposed and can cause the symptoms of DES to begin. MGD is more prevalent in women and shows an increase in occurrence after the age of 50. 1 It is estimated that 30-40 million people suffer from DES across the United States.

Treatment of MGD

There are a number of different treatments for MGD. These include oral and ocular medications, hot compresses, omega-3 fatty acids and artificial tears to name a few. A dry eye evaluation with Dr. Kresnak will help determine which treatments are best for you. For many patients, Dr. Kresnak recommends a meibomian gland expression. This treatment involves an in-office hot compress followed by a manual expression of the glands with a pair of Tearse Meibum Expressing Forceps. Dr. Kresnak will also capture a video of the procedure, demonstrating the expression of meibum from your glands. MGD expression is not a cure, but it will promote the healthy function of your meibomian glands while making at-home hot compresses more successful. This treatment may need to be repeated in the future.

iLUX®

The iLUX® MGD Treatment System is an advanced technology used to treat patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, or MGD, which is a type of dry eye. Dry eye is a chronic eye disease caused by deficiencies in the tear film that affects over 30 million people in the United States. Of those 30 million, 86% suffer from Meibomian Gland Disease or MGD.

WHAT IS MGD?
Every time you blink, a protective layer of moisture called the tear film coats the front surface of your eye. The tear film includes a crucial oily layer known as meibum. MGD occurs when the meibomian glands, responsible for producing meibum, get blocked or the secreted meibum is of poor quality which can lead to excessive evaporation of the tear film and dry eye symptoms.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Dryness, grittiness, tired eyes, irritation, burning and sore eyes.

HOW DOES ILUX® WORK?
iLUX® uses a light-based heat to apply therapeutic warming followed by expression to treat blocked glands and encourage the production of healthy oil. iLUX® is a portable and customizable procedure that allows us to tailor the treatment to each individual patient’s dry eye needs. The treatment is fast, only 8-12 minutes for the entire procedure.

BlephEx®

The Grand Rapids Eye Care team uses a simple in-office procedure called BlephEx® as part of our dry eye treatments. Much like plaque on teeth, your eyelids can accumulate a sticky, hard shell known as biofilm. Over time, this plaque-like biofilm, Demodex, and other difficult to remove debris can build up. Similar to how regular teeth cleanings contribute to dental health, maintaining the cleanliness of your eyelids is one way to support healthy eyes.

By gently and effectively cleaning the area around the eyelashes, BlephEx® has been shown to reduce lid debris on the eyelid margin by more than 50%.* (*In symptomatic contact lens wearers (n=17) in a randomized, controlled study of daily contact lens wearers (n=30) © 2021 Alcon Inc)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BlephEx®:
Dr. Kresnak uses the BlephEx® System to remove excess debris on the eyelid margin. Numbing drops will be put into your eyes before treatment with BlephEx®.

Ask your eye care professional for a complete list of safety information for BlephEx®.

AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR ILUX® OR BlephEx®?

If you suffer from dry eye symptoms, use artificial tears, or find that you have irritated eyes following device use, call our office or ask your doctor to see if you are a candidate for our new in-office procedures.

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