Dr. Kayla Bechthold Blog: Latest Technology in Dry Eye Treatment Available Close to Home!

Dry eye disease can be a frustrating, debilitating, life altering disorder. Dry eye has a wide range of causes and symptoms, and an even wider range of treatment options! For many, simply using artificial tears and warm compresses can calm the symptoms and make it seem like an easy disease to treat. Unfortunately, there are many others that do the same regimen and have no relief at all.

Normally, the tear film is renewed with each blink. The tear film has 3 layers. The outer oily layer is made by oil glands in the eyelid, called meibomian glands. This oil prevents evaporation of the tears. The middle aqueous layer is the liquid part of the tear film, made by the lacrimal gland. Lastly, the inner mucin layer is made by cells that line the inside of our eyelids, goblet cells. The mucin is sticky and keeps the tear film on the eye. A deficit in any of these layers can result in dry eye. Many times, there are issues with more than one layer of the tear film and in more than one step of the process.

Infographic from mydryeye space

Dry eye can have many causes, from environment to aging, from rosacea to Sjogren’s syndrome. All causes of dry eye have one thing in common: inflammation.

Medications like Restasis and Xiidra can decrease inflammation in the lacrimal gland, improving the makeup and effectiveness of the aqueous layer of the tear film. But, if the oil layer of the tear film is also affected, then symptoms will remain.

High dose triglyceride fish oil, certain artificial tears and hot compresses may help to improve oil quality. But, they do not treat the underlying cause- inflammation and plugged oil glands. Artificial tears can replace fluid on the surface, but again, do not treat the underlying cause.

The vast majority of those that suffer with severe dry eye have a significant issue with inflammation in the skin and lid tissue and plugged oil glands in the lids. If the oil cannot leave the glands because of inflammation, the tear film will evaporate quickly. A study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology in 2019 estimated that 35-55% of dry eye disease was due to tear evaporation.

That's where the Envision IPL treatment can be life changing. It is an in-office dry eye treatment that targets inflammation and plugged oil glands, the root cause of dry eye. Eye Clinic North was the first practice in Minnesota to offer Envision IPL treatments.

It is a two-part process. First, Lumecca Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is used to decrease inflammation by closing off abnormal superficial blood vessels that cause inflammation in and around eyes. It treats dry eye, ocular rosacea, meibomian gland dysfunction, demodex, blepharitis, styes and chalazions.

The second step is Forma Radiofrequency treatment (RF). RF uses low energy bipolar radiofrequency to generate heat to target the eyelids natural oils, causing white blood cells and stem cells to migrate to the area to unclog the oil glands. After the treatment a meibomian gland expression removes the thickened oil so new, thinner, less inflammatory oil can be made.

And a nice side effect? Both IPL and RF are FDA approved to reverse the signs of aging by simulating collagen production to smooth wrinkles and eliminate dark spots.

The treatments are spread over several months, most patients need 3-4 treatments, but your provider will make a plan specific to you. Each treatment takes about an hour. There is no anesthetic needed and no downtime after treatment. Many patients experience freedom from eye drops.

Dry eye can be a complex issue to treat, but new advancements are being made every day. Eye Clinic North is the only practice north of the twin cities to offer this treatment. Eye Clinic North is a Minnesota Ocular Expert Center for Envision IPL. Eye Clinic North's team of medical optometrists are committed to providing the newest, most effective technology and treatments.

To watch videos of the procedures and for more information on what to expect, check out this link:

Dry Eye Treatment - Eye Clinic North

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