Dry eyes cause eyes to feel SANDY, GRITTY, STINGING, BURNING, AS IF SOMETHING IS IN THEM, or you may feel nothing at all!
Dry eyes can be caused by:
- Prescribed or over-the-counter medicines (e.g., antihistamines, antidepressants, Accutane®, birth control, blood pressure medications, etc.)
- Dry air, dry climate, or air conditioning
- Chronic eyelid disease
- Poor blinking
- Some chronic health conditions (e.g., Sjögren’s, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Crohns’, etc.)
At SeeRite Eye Clinic, we carry many dry eye drops, treatment masks, lid scrubs and nutritional products to manage your dry eye.
In-Office Diagnostics
The meibomian glands of the upper and lower eyelids play a crucial role in creating the oil layer of the tear film. When these glands become sick, they shrink and collapse, becoming unusable and no longer contribute to oil production. Imaging of these glands is crucial in determining the current state and function of the meibomian glands. This ultimately leads to better recommendations for our patients and individualizing their dry eye treatment plan.
In-Office Treatments
Your eyelids play a critical part in the overall health of your eyes, in fact over 85% of dry eye originates from the eyelids. All the dirt, oil, dead skin, bacteria and mites that accumulate over time on your eyelids creates a biofilm on the eyelashes (similar to plaque on your teeth) that leads to redness, tearing, irritation, conjunctivitis and recurrent styes. The same way we must go to the dentist to have that plaque physically scraped off, sometimes that at-home daily hygiene products aren’t enough to remove all the unwanted debris from the eyelids. ZEST is a newly developed in-office deep cleansing procedure that uses patented Zokrex technology with activated natural okra polysaccharaide complexes to gently and effectively clear scurf and residue from the eyelids. There is minimal, if any discomfort during the procedure – most patients feel immediate relief following the treatment, and this relief lasts 3-12 months depending on how much debris your eyelashes accumulate and whether you perform any at-home cleansing between procedures.