Your Boise Destination for Dry Eye Treatments & Relief
Dry eye disease might sound harmless, but its impact on daily life can be far from mild. It starts when the eyes struggle to maintain proper lubrication due to insufficient tear production or excessive tear evaporation. At Ada Vision Center East in Boise, we offer an array of treatments to combat the condition.
Unmasking the Symptoms: How to Spot Dry Eye Disease
For those with dry eye disease, the discomfort is far from subtle. The symptoms can manifest in various ways, affecting both the eyes and overall well-being. The most common signs are:
- Itching
- Burning
- Irritation
- Watery eyes
- Blurred vision
- Pain
A persistent sensation of a foreign body in the eye
Beyond their emotional significance, tears serve vital functions such as moisturizing and lubricating the eyes, delivering nutrients to the eye's surface, protecting against infections, ensuring optical clarity, and aiding in healing minor injuries. The balanced production, quality, and distribution of tears contribute to clear vision and overall eye health.
Roots of the Issue: Causes of Dry Eye Disease
The causes of dry eye disease are as diverse as the symptoms themselves. Some of the triggers include:
- Aging, as tear production typically decreases with age
- Hormonal changes, especially among women undergoing pregnancy, using oral contraceptives, or entering menopause
- Medications, particularly antihistamines, blood pressure drugs, and antidepressants, can disrupt tear production
- Environmental conditions, such as living in dry, dusty, or windy climate
- Prolonged usage of digital devices, leading to excessive screen time.
- Specific medical conditions like diabetes, blepharitis, lupus, arthritis, and thyroid problems
- Prior eye surgeries, including LASIK, can disrupt tear production and distribution
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)
The most common cause of dry eye disease is MGD, which happens when the tiny glands in the eyelids that produce the oil layer of tears become blocked. This oil layer is key for preventing excessive evaporation of tears and maintaining the stability of the tear film. When the meibomian glands malfunction and fail to produce sufficient quality oil, the tear film becomes unstable, leading to increased evaporation and inadequate lubrication.
Diagnosing Dry Eye: We Dive Below the Surface
During a comprehensive eye exam, our eye doctor will ask for a detailed history of your symptoms and their impact on your daily life. The tear break-up time (TBUT) test, which measures the time it takes for the tear film to break up, is also used to diagnose dry eye. A shorter TBUT suggests an unstable tear film: a hallmark of dry eye disease.
Explore Our Dry Eye Treatments
The treatment approach for dry eye depends on the underlying causes and the severity of the condition. This includes:
- Over-the-counter artificial tears or lubricant eye drops for mild cases, which enhance moisture and provide immediate relief.
- Prescription or corticosteroid eye drops for patients with inflammation and other persistent symptoms.
- Punctal plugs – small devices inserted into the tear ducts to slow down the drainage of tears.
- Managing underlying conditions like blepharitis through heated compress masks, specialized eyelid scrubs, or antibiotics.
- Environmental modifications such as humidifiers that add moisture to dry indoor air and protective eyewear like wrap-around sunglasses that shield the eyes from wind and dust.
Request a dry eye consultation with Ada Vision Center East in Boise to get long-lasting relief from this eye condition.
Innovative Solutions for Lasting Dry Eye Relief
The world of eye care continually evolves, introducing innovative treatments to provide lasting relief for dry eye patients, such as BlephEx™ and iLux®.
BlephEx™ is a precise and gentle procedure designed to address two common contributors to dry eye: eyelid hygiene and MGD. During this treatment, a specially designed handheld device is used to carefully exfoliate and clean the eyelid margins and lashes. This process effectively removes debris, biofilm, and accumulated bacteria that can contribute to inflammation and blockage of the meibomian glands.
iLux® uses gentle heat to unclog blocked oil glands, allowing the oil to flow more freely and lubricate the tears effectively.