Dry Eye Center of Excellence
Dry eyes that feel sore and irritated can be more than just a nuisance when they feel that way every day. If you suffer from dry eyes, our board-certified ophthalmologist, can help with a range of effective treatment solutions. Multack Eye Care provides exceptional services and custom care approaches to each individual suffering from dry eye. To find out more, call one of our conveniently located offices or request an appointment online.
What are dry eyes?
Dry eyes develop when your eyes aren’t producing enough lubricating tears, which makes them feel irritated and uncomfortable.
The tears that keep your eyes clean and lubricated contain special oils that spread across your eye when you blink. If you aren’t making enough of these types of tears or there’s a lack of oils in the tears you’re making, dry eye is the result.
If you have dry eyes, you’re likely to experience symptoms such as:
- Irritation in the eyes
- Burning sensation in the eyes
- Tired, gritty eyes
- Red eyes
- Blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
You might often feel as though there’s something stuck in your eye and find wearing contact lenses becomes too uncomfortable.
What causes dry eyes?
There are a number of potential triggers for dry eyes, including:
- Entropion (inward turning eyelid)
- Ectropion (outward turning eyelid)
- Contact lenses
- Certain medications
- Postsurgical complications
- Age-related changes
- Hormonal changes
- Changes in the weather
- Environmental pollutants
- Dry, windy weather
- Regular use of computer screens
Immune system conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disorders often cause dry eye as well.
Dry eyes can also cause excessive watering. Your eyes water because they feel dry and irritated, but these tears don’t have the lubricating oils in them, and so don’t help to ease the dry eye problem.
Left untreated, dry eyes can cause inflammation and corneal scarring.
What treatments are there for dry eyes?
Dr. Multack can recommend the most appropriate treatment in your case from a selection of therapies, including:
- Artificial tears
- Medicated eye drops
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Punctal plugs
Irritation and discomfort in your eyes can be immensely frustrating, especially if your eyes are continually watering as well. The highly trained physicians at Multack Eye Care can help relieve the distressing symptoms of dry eyes so you can get back to normal. Come see the difference today!
Omega-3 fatty acids help support the eye’s tear film, by supporting the small glands on the edge of the eyelid, called the meibomian glands which help make the oil for the tear film. Omega-3s are needed for healthy tears and optimal eye health, and also for exceptional overall health. Omega-3s are not produced by our body and must be obtained by diet or supplementation.
We recommend Pristene, a natural, Certified vegan, Non-GMO, gluten free eye health supplement which has been shown to support a healthy tear film. Pristene is available at www.eyecheck.com.
Restasis® is a preservative-free prescription medication used to treat chronic dry eyes caused by an inability to adequately produce natural tears. Restasis is not an artificial tear like many over-the-counter eye drops are, but rather a formulation designed to help the eyes better produce natural tears. It comes in individually packaged vials that are design for one-time usage and disposal.
For most patients who begin taking Restasis, increased tear production does not begin until at least 3 months after initiating the prescription. It is safe to continue using artificial tears while using Restasis, although most people experience a decreased need for OTC eye drops with time.
You could be a candidate for Restasis if you have chronically dry eyes that are caused by inflammation within the eye. Patients who frequently rely on artificial tears or have persistently dry eyes that interfere with day-to-day life should speak a doctor about whether prescription Restasis.
What Is TearLab?
TearLab is a state-of-the-art diagnostic instrument that doctors use to collect a small sample of tear fluid from each eye. After collecting tear fluid, the TearLab instrument measures the osmolarity – or saltiness – of the tears.
TearLab’s chip technology uses a tiny sample of tears to measure osmolarity. Your doctor will test both eyes and then calculate your osmolarity number.
Your individual osmolarity number is an accurate measure of the health of the quality of the protective tear film that covers the surface of your eyes. TearLab has the best predictive value for diagnosing dry eye disease than any single test.
The Lipiflow system is designed for the application of confined heat and pressure therapy for adult patients with evaporative dry eye. By doing so it opens the blocked glands that allow your body to resume its natural production of tear film oil. There are no other dry eye therapies that can do what the Lipiflow Thermal Pulsation System can.
The Lipiflow system is clinically proven with documented results. In a clinical study, about 79% of patients had tremendous improvement in their overall dry eye symptoms after a single treatment. You may need to have this treatment done periodically as your symptoms will return over time.
LipiFlow Treats The Cause Of Evaporative Dry Eye
LipiFlow is intended for the application of localized heat and pressure in adult patients with chronic cystic conditions of the eyelids, including Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), also known as evaporative dry eye or lipid deficient dry eye.
Unlike traditional dry eye treatments (warm compresses, wetting drops, ointments) that address symptoms, LipiFlow treats the root cause, the obstructed Meibomian glands. The goal of unblocking the glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film.
How LipiFlow Works:
- LipiFlow is a 12-minute in-office procedure. Both eyes can be treated simultaneously.
- LipiFlow uses a disposable eyepiece to apply controlled heat to the inner eyelids and intermittent gentle pressure to the outer eyelid.
- LipiFlow facilitates the release of lipids from the blocked Meibomian glands allowing the natural flow of lipids to resume.
Punctal plugs are tiny implants used to prevent or relieve dry eyes. The size of a grain of rice, these small plugs are placed into the tear ducts to improve moisture production on the surface of the eye. An eye doctor may administer a local anesthetic, dilate the tear duct opening and then insert the punctal plug in a simple office procedure.
Punctual plugs are not typically felt once in place, and soft ones usually conform to the eye – making them difficult to dislodge. However, punctal plugs can easily be removed if necessary, and an eye doctor can easily replace them when lost.
Most people who are suffering from or at risk for suffering from dry eyes are candidates for punctual plugs. Dissolvable plugs are designed for short term use and are commonly given to refractive surgery patients to prevent dry eyes in the days or weeks following surgery. Semi-permanent punctual plugs are meant for long-term use – usually to treat chronically dry eyes.
Today’s patients at Multack Eye Care are benefiting from research and an expanded set of tools for treating difficult conditions, and the use of amniotic membrane tissue is a good example of that. The innate healing properties of the tissue make it ideal for faster healing and tissue regeneration. It is especially helpful in the treatment of corneal diseases and degeneration. The amniotic membrane contains specialized proteins and growth factors that diminish inflammation, prevent drying, aid tear stability and accelerate healing.
Eyes treated this way usually experience less pain, less inflammation, less scarring and heal more quickly. Some of the eye conditions that we treat with the tissue are chemical burns, ptreygiums, conjunvtivochalasis, corneal defects, and dry eyes, just to name a few.
What is amniotic membrane tissue and where do you get it?
It is the part of the placenta that protects the baby with its natural therapeutic properties. The tissue is donated by consenting mothers after cesarean section births. The mothers have been tested for health issues prior to donation, and have made an informed decision to help others. The tissue bank is regulated by the FDA and quality control testing.
Amniotic Membrane Tissues used at Multack Eye Care
AmbioDisk™ is a sutureless, dehydrated amniotic membrane allograft utilized for the safe and effective treatment of ocular surface diseases and disorders in the office setting. 5-year shelf life with simple room temperature storage.
PROKERA® is made by clipping a piece of amniotic membrane tissue in between two rings made out of a clear, flexible material.
In-office Applications
- Non-healing epithelial defects
- Neurotrophic ulcerations
- Corneal erosions
- Acute chemical/thermal burns
- Post-infectious keratitis (herpetic, vernal, bacterial)
- Conditions associated with excessive dry eye