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Dry Eye Treatment

Dry Eye Treatment

  • You feel like your eyes are stinging and burning.
  • Blurred vision, especially when reading
  • There is a scratchy or gritty feeling like something is in your eye.
  • There are strings of mucus in or around your eyes.
  • Your eyes are red or irritated. This is especially true when you are in the wind or near cigarette smoke.
  • It is painful to wear contact lenses.
  • You have lots of tears in your eyes.

Why Are My Eyes So Dry?

Main Causes of Dry Eye

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Taking certain medicines, such as:

  • Diuretics (water pills) for high blood pressure
  • Beta-blockers, for heart problems or high blood pressure
  • Allergy and cold medicines (antihistamines)
  • Sleeping pills
  • Anxiety and antidepressant medicines
  • Heartburn medicines
  • Certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritisSjögren’s syndrome, thyroid disease, and lupus
  • Hormonal changes
  • Blepharitis (when eyelids are swollen or red)
  • Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)
  • Entropion (when eyelids turn in); ectropion (eyelids turn outward)
  • Being in smoke, wind or a very dry climate
  • Looking at a computer screen for a long time, reading and other activities that reduce blinking
  • Using contact lenses for a long time
  • Having refractive eye surgery, such as LASIK

Tell your ophthalmologist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take.

What is MGD?

Every time you blink, a protective layer of moisture called the tearfilm coats the front surface of your eye. An essential part of the tearfilm is an oily layer called meibum. MGD occurs when the meibomian glands that produce meibum get blocked or the secreted meibum is of poor quality, leading to excessive evaporation of the tear film and dry eye symptoms. Approximately 26 million people in the United States suffer from Meibomian Gland Disease or MGD.

What is iLUX2®?

The iLUX2® MGD Treatment System is an advanced technology used to treat patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.iLUX2® uses a light-based heat to apply therapeutic warming followed by expression to treat blocked glands and encourage the production of healthy oil. iLUX2® 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.

What is BlephEx®?

BlephEx® is a simple in-office procedure performed by us, your eye care professionals. 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. In the same way that regular teeth cleanings promote dental health, getting your eyelids cleaned 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®:

The BlephEx® System is used to remove excess debris on the eyelid margin by a healthcare professional. 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 prolonged screen use, call our office or ask your doctor to see if you are a candidate for our new in-office procedures.

The Doctors at Eye Specialists & Surgeons of Northern Virginia have either authored or reviewed and approved this content.

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