Dry Eye

Dry Eye Disease

What Is Dry Eye Disease: Understanding this common and complex condition

Dry Eye, often called Dry Eye Disease (DED), is one of the most common reasons why a patient comes into our Waco eye practice. Dry Eye can affect a person’s quality of life and ability to perform everyday functions such as driving a car and using a computer. Dry Eye is a disease and the doctors at Brazos Eye Surgery of Texas have advanced technology, diagnostic equipment and treatments that are ready to meet the needs of patients who have not been able to find relief. Dry Eye Disease is often undiagnosed due to its complex nature.

Common symptoms of Dry Eye

• Occasional blurring of vision
• Feeling of sand or grit in the eye
• Redness, burning/pain, itching and/or light sensitivity
• Excess tearing or watering of the eyes
• Tired eyes
• Contact lens discomfort

Forms of Dry Eye: Aqueous and Evaporative

Aqueous dry eye – occurs when the lacrimal glands fail to produce enough of the watery (aqueous) component of tears to maintain a healthy eye surface.

Evaporative dry eye – affects 65% of sufferers, is caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) or blocked glands that create a de¬ficiency in the oil layer of the tear film. This can be the beginning of other dry eye disease problems, including damage to the cornea and sight-related issues. Many times, aqueous and evaporative dry eye are found in the same patient.

Diagnosing the Disease

The doctors at Brazos Eye Surgery of Texas use several methods to diagnose Dry Eye, including Tear Osmolarity, Meibomian Gland Imaging®, and Ocular Allergy Testing.

Tear osmolarity is a key indicator of tear film quality and can, therefore, reveal the potential for and presence of aqueous deficient and/or evaporative Dry Eye Disease. Your osmolarity number gives your doctor a meaningful measure of the health and stability of the protective tear film that covers the surface of your eyes.

Meibomian Gland Imaging® uses an image of the glands in the eyelids that secrete the oils that coat the eye. Your Brazos Eye Surgery of Texas dry eye doctor can then assess the health of your oil glands and the correct therapy required.

Ocular Allergy Testing is a non-invasive, proprietary test designed to objectively diagnose the most common ocular allergies. This test requires no needles or shots. It is covered by most major medical insurance plans, and you will know your test results within one hour. Once we identify specifically what you are allergic to, our doctors will create a custom treatment program specific to your needs.

Treatments for Dry Eye

Omega-3 Nutritional Supplement
Omega-3 nutritional supplements have been proven to significantly improve eye health and relieve dry eye symptoms. You may already be taking a ¬fish oil from the store, but are you taking the right one? Supported by significant research and experience, specific formulations of omega-3s can provide the purest, most therapeutically potent omega-3 based nutritional supplements possible. When taken as recommended, they deliver a therapeutic amount of omega-3 EPA and DHA.

Prescription Eye Drops / Artificial Tears
Patients who have dry eye due to inflammation may find prescription eye drops (also known as artificial tears) to provide relief. Prescription eye drops helps increase your eyes’ natural ability to produce tears.

Biological Corneal Bandages
A biologic corneal bandage/medical device is used by eye doctors around the world to treat eye diseases such as keratitis, recurrent corneal erosion, dry eye syndrome, and chemical burns.

This unique treatment is safe and effective, and it is composed of cryopreserved amniotic membrane tissue in a thermoplastic ring set. Amniotic tissue is proven to have natural therapeutic actions to help damaged eyes. The biologic corneal bandage is placed on the first eye for about 4 to 7 days; the patient can continue their daily activities and use arti¬ficial tears as needed. When the bandage on the first eye is removed, the eye is evaluated and a second eye can be scheduled.

Serum Eye Drops
Serum eye drops are created using a patient’s own blood. These drops are an option for patients that have not found relief from traditional treatments, such as prescription eye drops. Serum eye drops contain level of nutrients and growth factors that help improve the symptoms of dry eye and overall corneal health.

MiBo Thermoflo
MiBo Thermoflo is a treatment that is specific for obstructed meibomian glands. This treatment is used for patients that have been diagnosed with Meibomian Gland Disease, also known as Evaporative Dry Eye Disease. MiBo Thermoflo delivers consistent emissive heat to the meibomian gland; the result is improved lipid secretions that lead to an enhanced tear film production.