Dry Eye Clinic

Dry Eye Clinic at Progressive Vision

  • Progressive Vision are delighted to launch our DRY EYE Clinic for patients with this debilitating condition.
  • An initial appointment involves a full dry eye assessment to discover the type/cause of dry eye followed by an individual treatment plan.
  • New breakthrough treatments for Dry Eye Syndrome are now available at Progressive Vision including BlephEx and Optilight.

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Could you have Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eye is a condition that occurs when your tears cannot properly lubricate the eye. Dry eye occurs when your tear film lacks quality and evaporates from your eye too quickly or when not enough tears are produced.

Traditional treatments for dry eye include eyelid hygiene such as cleansing and hot compresses and taking omega 3 supplements as well as using drops and sprays to replace the oily layer of tear film.

New breakthrough treatments for Dry Eye Syndrome are now available at Progressive Vision

BlephEx

  • This is a gentle hand-held medical grade micro- sponge that is now available at Progressive Vision.
  • It used to safely clean and exfoliate your eyelids and lashes.
  • It is used to treat Blepharitis which is a common recurrent eyelid condition that can cause dry eye discomfort.
  • BlephEx allows rapid relief from these symptoms and the procedure is comfortable and easy to perform.

OptiLight

OptiLight is now available at Progressive Vision and is a light based, non-invasive treatment focused on the skin around the eyes.

  • It is the first and only IPL FDA approved for dry eye management.
  • It uses precise pulses of light to reduce the inflammation that is typically associated with dry eye disease, improves tear evaporative time, and increases the functionality of the meibomian gland that produces the lipid layer.
  • During treatment, a coupling gel is applied to the area of treatment and your eyes are covered with shields.
  • As a light is applied to the skin, you may experience a warm sensation.
  • The treatment is gentle with minimal discomfort and takes around 15 minutes.
  • The standard course of treatment is 4 sessions spaced 2-4 weeks apart, but a personalised plan is made to suit each individual’s dry eye needs.

What are the symptoms of Dry Eye?

  • Irritation usually in both eyes
  • A gritty or burning sensation
  • Blurring or fluctuations in clarity of vision
  • Ocular symptoms that are exacerbated by smoke, heat or the wind.

What are the most common causes?

  • Hormone fluctuations for example, menopause, which is why women are more affected.
  • Age related changes to the eyes structure as we get older.
  • Medications that can affect tear production such as anti- histamines or beta blockers.
  • Exposure to different environments such as dry, airconditioned environments that speed up tear evaporation.
  • Increased screen use causing reduced blinking rates affecting tear quality and quantity.
  • Ocular conditions such as blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction causing tenderness, redness and crusting of eyelid margins resulting in disruption of tear production.
  • Systemic conditions such as autoimmune diseases like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis or Sjogren’s syndrome that affect the lacrimal gland causing reduced tear secretion.
  • Previous surgical procedures such as LASIK or long-term contact lens wear causing reduced corneal sensation and decreased tear secretion.

Other dry eye treatment advice:

  • Regular VDU and screen breaks.
  • Increase blink frequency. Use 20/20/20 rule (every 20 minutes look up for 20 seconds, 20 feet away).
  • Good wraparound sunglasses with 100% UV sun protection.
  • Reduce contact lens wearing time if experiencing symptoms of dry eye.

You Don’t Have to Live With Dry Eye Anymore.  Request an appointment to book an initial suitability assessment at Progressive Vision