When you live with dry eye disease, that burning sensation can quickly affect your quality of life. It’s perfectly natural to want to try anything to find relief! Fortunately, our team can help you find relief from your dry eyes through dry eye therapy—using advanced treatments like OptiLight.
OptiLight by Lumenis is the first FDA-approved IPL treatment for dry eye disease. Through gentle amounts of light-based heat, OptiLight can quickly reduce inflammation and irritation in and around the eyes, restoring your clear and comfortable vision.
What Is Dry Eye Disease?
Tears aren’t just a way to express emotion—they’re a critical player in your ocular health. When you blink, you’re spreading your tears evenly across the eye’s surface; this helps provide moisture and protection to the eye.
To function properly, these tears require a careful balance of:
- Mucus, to keep the tear spread evenly and attached to the eye
- Water, to flush away contaminants, bacteria, and germs, while providing hydration
- Oils, to provide a smooth outer surface and prevent early evaporation of the tear itself
When this balance is tipped, your eye starts to struggle to maintain this tear film. It may not be able to produce enough tears, or the tears being produced can evaporate too quickly. Then, the eye begins to dry out, leading to the tell-tale burning and stinging sensations of dry eye disease. The eye is exposed to the outside air and unprotected, leading to quick inflammation and irritation.
Dry Eye Disease: The Signs & Symptoms
Recognizing the signs of dry eye disease is crucial. This condition doesn’t just cause temporary irritation; it’s a chronic disease that can leave your eyes exposed for long periods of time. Your eyes can’t protect themselves, increasing the risk of scratches, infections, and more.
Dry eye often causes:
- Persistent dryness
- Scratchiness or grittiness
- Sensitivity to light
- Redness or sore eyes
- Fatigued eyes, especially after screen use
- Blurry vision that fluctuates
- Excessive tearing as a response to the constant dryness
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s crucial to visit your optometrist as soon as you can. They’ll be able to help recommend the right approach to finding relief through something called dry eye therapy.
How to Treat Dry Eye Disease
Treating dry eye disease starts with a visit to your optometrist. They’ll need to take some time and assess your eyes, your tear film, and the surrounding area to find out what’s causing your symptoms.
Then, they’ll recommend one or more of the following:
- Eye drops to find temporary relief and lubricate the eyes
- Anti-inflammatory medication to reduce irritation
- Heat therapy, like warm compresses, to stimulate the area and encourage healthy tear production
- Punctal plugs, tiny devices inserted into the tear ducts to slow tear drainage
- Eyelid hygiene, to remove bacteria and contaminants from the eyes
Sometimes, though, these measures may not work entirely. If this is the situation, your optometrist will likely recommend a more advanced approach—like OptiLight by Lumenis.
OptiLight by Lumenis
OptiLight by Lumenis is an extremely effective dry eye treatment. It’s the first FDA-approved intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy designed to treat dry eye disease.
This is a quick, safe, and non-invasive treatment that uses gentle amounts of light-based heat to stimulate the area around the eyes. IPL warms the glands responsible for the oils of your tear film, helping encourage the healthy flow of oils to prevent your tears from evaporating. Meanwhile, it also helps reduce the inflammation caused by your dry eyes, helping you find quick relief.
Overall, OptiLight usually only takes about 15 minutes or so, giving you an extremely effective way to find relief from your dry eyes! It usually takes a few sessions before the long-term effects settle, and you may notice some minor discomfort during treatment.
The Benefits of IPL for Dry Eyes
OptiLight can be an incredible approach to treating dry eye disease. It offers a long-lasting solution that addresses the underlying cause of the condition. By restoring the balance of your tear film, OptiLight offers a way to help you enjoy your clear and comfortable vision every day without worrying about discomfort or irritation.
OptiLight has plenty of benefits, like:
- Fast relief from dry eye symptoms
- Minimal downtime, letting you return to your daily activities quickly
- A reduced dependency on eye drops and other temporary solutions
Imagine living a life without dealing with burning and stinging eyes. It’s within reach—with OptiLight.
Should You Try OptiLight?
If you’re dealing with dry and burning eyes, come talk to our team at Danville Optometric Group. We can examine your eyes to find out if OptiLight could be the solution for you. Schedule an appointment with us today, and take the first step towards finding relief from your dry eyes!
