Dry Eye - Heat it; Treat it; See it!
Published:
Managing a Chronic problem with New Technology
That uncomfortable feeling of having sand in your eye is never fun. If you have that gritty, irritated sensation over time, you may be suffering from a specific condition, such as dry eye, Sjogren's syndrome, blepharitis, or keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
These symptoms can significantly diminish the quality of life by hindering daily activities such as reading, computer usage, contact lens wear, enjoying outdoor activities, or working in an air conditioned environment. Many dry eye patients complain that those symptoms worsen throughout the day. The symptoms of dry eye disease are one of the most common reasons people visit us. If left untreated, this condition can lead to pain, corneal scarring, and some loss of vision.
During your visit, to our practice we will discuss with you the benefits of daily lid and lash hygiene, in order to minimize symptoms of red, swollen eyelids, chronic dry eye, and maintain a healthy ocular surface for comfortable contact lens wear. This is something that all patients can benefit from. This very easy technique is highly effective and is key to the success of all treatment methods.
During the day and throughout life, especially if we wear contact lenses, bacteria and debris build up along our eyelids and lashes. Overtime, this process can lead to the build up of biofilms and cause chronic inflammation -- the key ingredient in dry eye syndrome! Fortunately, we now have a game changer to help combat this epidemic: Daily lid hygiene is the norm -- it is as simple as brushing or flossing your teeth!
There are a lot of products out there for eyelid hygiene and it can be quite confusing for the average consumer. At our practice, treating this all-too-common condition is a priority. That is why we screen all patients for this disease. Once recognized, we treat the root-cause of the problem with a novel approach of light-based heat and compression called iLux.
The iLux MGD treatment system:
Consists of the handheld iLux device and the sterile, single-patient-use disposable Smart Tip.
Uses light energy to soften blockages of the meibomian gland orifices quickly and comfortably.
Lets us manually adjust eyelid compression based on clinical judgement.
Lets us view meibomian gland orifices, to tailor the treatment to each persons needs.
The sterile, single-patient-use, disposable iLux Smart Tip has an inner pad and an outer pad. The inner pad slips behind the eyelid being treated, while the outer pad is pressed against the outer surface of the eyelid during heating and compression. Both pads are covered with a soft, biocompatible silicone material.
The iLux Smart Tip contains precision temperature sensors which continually monitor inner and outer eyelid temperature and maintain safe, therapeutic heat levels during treatment.
Information from the Smart Tip is relayed to the iLux device, controlling the LED light sources to increase or decrease treatment temperature as needed.
Call our office to learn more! This easy 15 min process can clear your eyelids and make your eyes whiter for 6 months. You can reach us via phone number 704-821-5009