Partners in Dry Eye Relief
There are a multitude of reasons why your eyes may be dry, but if they are uncomfortable more often than not, it is time to begin looking for relief. Dry eye disease is an often chronic, common, and uncomfortable condition, and it typically requires more than just a few eye drops to treat.
We offer a non-invasive in-depth dry eye assessment using the latest technology with the Topcon MYAH and tear osmolarity testing. Once we understand the root cause of your symptoms, we can provide you with long-lasting relief.
Our clinic offers a wide array of dry eye therapies tailored to your individual needs including Blephex, punctal plugs, and even prescription medications.
Do You Have Dry Eye Disease?
Dry eye disease, while irritating and uncomfortable, is often not damaging in small bouts. However, when left untreated, it can cause severe corneal surface damage and long-term infections down the road. Even without the threat of additional harm, it is still best to treat the cause of your discomfort.
When dry eye is the culprit, your symptoms might include:
- Stinging
- Burning
- Grittiness
- Scratching sensation
- Foreign body sensation
- Excessive watering
- Blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Eye fatigue
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, book an appointment to get to the bottom of them.
What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye means that eyes either don’t produce enough lubrication to keep themselves moist and comfortable, or they don’t produce the right consistency of lubrication. Either way, they will feel dry. It sounds simple enough, but it is much more complex than that.
Aqueous Deficiency Dry Eye
The right amount of moisture is important. If lack of moisture is the cause of your dry eye, you may have aqueous deficiency dry eye. This occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears. Reasons for decreased tear production are varied and may include:
- Contact lens wear
- Normal aging
- Certain medications
- Medical conditions
- Recent laser eye surgery
Evaporative Dry Eye
While not having enough tears sounds like the reason for all dry eye cases, it is not. There is another, more common reason: evaporative dry eye. When the tears produced by your eyes do not contain the right chemical composition to do their job, you get dry eyes. You might not think of your tears as being either high- or low-quality, but tears that lack in 1 (or more) of their 3 layers are said to be of poor quality.
The tear film is made up of a mucus layer that spreads the tears over the surface of the eye, a water layer that hydrates the eye, and an oil layer that keeps the water from evaporating too quickly.
Diagnosing Dry Eye
The meibomian glands line the top of and bottom of your lash line. They produce the oil layer of your tear film. From time to time, due to inflammation or dysfunction, these glands may become blocked. Meibomian glands that do not produce adequate oil for the tear film contribute to dry eye disease.
When evaluating dry eyes, it’s also important to examine the meibomian glands carefully. We do this by using meibography, specialized imaging of the meibomian glands.
A close look at the glands tells us whether or not they are blocked with any hardened oil, skin cells, or other debris like cosmetics.
To read about the technology we employ for eye care diagnostics, please visit our technology page.
Our Treatment Methods
At your appointment, we’ll evaluate your eyes and customize a dry eye therapy plan tailored to your specific needs. After all, no pair of eyes are the same. No matter the cause of your dry eye, we have treatment options to help alleviate your symptoms.
BlephEx
BlephEx is a treatment option for those with dry eyes caused by blepharitis, or inflammation of the oil glands located in the eyelids. Blepharitis can cause redness, irritation, and dry eyes. Treating blepharitis with BlephEx typically takes around 10 minutes and involves removing debris from the eyelashes and eyelids to help reduce dry eye symptoms.
Xiidra
Xiidra is a type of eye drop prescribed by your optometrist that works by blocking a specific protein located on your body’s surface cells. This protein can cause your eyes to not produce enough tears or to produce poor-quality tears that don’t keep your eyes moisturized. Because of its ability to block this protein, Xiidra can be an effective treatment for dry eye disease.
Restasis
Unlike conventional eye drops or artificial tears, Restasis eye drops contain a prescription medicine specifically designed to treat the root causes of dry eyes. Restasis is only available from your optometrist, but after the initial prescription, it is a convenient and easy treatment you can do from home.
Punctal Plugs
If your dry eyes are caused by insufficient tear production or rapid tear evaporation, punctal plugs could be a treatment option for you. Punctal plugs are tiny devices that are inserted into the tear ducts to prevent drainage. The plugs are smaller than a grain of rice and they help your tears stay on your eye longer, keeping your eyes moisturized.
Find Relief Today
To learn more about the types of dry eye treatments that might be right for you, book an appointment today.
OUR LOCATION
Visit Advance Eye Care Center in Regina, for all your eye care needs. We offer a number of services, including:
- Adult & Senior Eye Exams
- Children’s Eye Exams
- Diabetic Eye Exams
- Dry Eye Therapy
- Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management
- Trigeminal Dysphoria Treatment
- And more!
Interested in our services? Book an appointment below.
AECC Regina
- 3617B Pasqua Street
- Regina, SK S4S 6W8
Hours of Operation
- Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
*in July and August we are closed on Saturdays and open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Thursdays
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Advance Eye Care Center
- 3617B Pasqua Street
- Regina, SK S4S 6W8
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P: 306-586-7036