Clear Vision Ophthalmology is proud to offer dry eye treatment for our patients.

Ocular Surface Disease, also known as dry eye, can occur from certain medications, naturally by aging, or as a symptom arising from systemic diseases such as Sjogren’s syndrome, Rheumatoid arthritis, or Lupus. If you have a minor case of dry eye, you may be experiencing irritation, excessive tearing, fluctuating vision, and/or a burning sensation in your eyes. Excessive dry eyes, or dry eye symptoms that go untreated, have the potential to damage eye tissue, scar your corneas, and impair your vision.

Treatment options vary depending on the severity. While dry eyes cannot be cured, there are various ways to soften or lessen your symptoms. During your appointment, we will discuss the treatment options that best fits your needs.

If you have any questions about dry eye or would like to be seen, please don’t hesitate to call us today at (718) 429-2470!

Click here to read more about Dry Eye

 

Dry eye disease (DED), also known as dry eye syndrome (DES), keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface due to a loss of homeostasis of the tear film.  It often results in ocular symptoms and visual disturbance due to underlying tear film instability, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities.

While diagnosis of DED does not require for any specific symptom to be present, the following are the most common complaints associated with dry eye disease:

  • Foreign body, burning, itching, gritty or sandy sensation
  • Hyperemia
  • Mucoid discharge
  • Ocular irritation
  • Excessive tearing (secondary to reflex secretion)
  • Photophobia
  • Blurry vision that may improve with blinking

Studies that may be used for diagnosis include the following:

  • Vital staining of corneal and conjunctival epithelium with fluorescein, lissamine green, or rose bengal
  • Measurement of tear film osmolarity
  • Detection of ocular surface matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9)
  • Measurement of tear breakup time (TBUT)

Early detection and treatment of dry eye disease, or keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), may help prevent corneal ulcers and scarring. Lubricating supplements are the medications most commonly used to treat dry eye disease. Agents that have been used to treat dry eye disease include the following:

  • Artificial tear substitutes
  • Gels, emulsions, and ointments
  • Topical anti-inflammatory agents: Topical cyclosporine and topical corticosteroids (fluorometholone, loteprednol)

Although supplemental lubrication is the mainstay of treatment for mild and moderate aqueous- deficient dry eye disease, any concomitant lid disease also must be treated.

Several in-office procedures are available for the treatment of dry eye disease, including the following:

  • Meibomian gland liquefaction and expression (MiBo, TearCare System)
  • Punctal plugs, to achieve either partial or complete punctal occlusion with or without cautery,
  • Amniotic membrane transplantation or amniotic membrane contact lens therapy (eg, Prokera, AmbioDisk)

Environment-related issues that may exacerbate dry eye disease should be discussed; alternatives may be needed.