Do you suffer from dry, red, gritty, tired or scratchy eyes? Does you vision fluctuate throughout the day? Do you find that you can only go a couple of hours before you have to remove your contact lenses? If so, you may be suffering from Dry Eye Syndrome. Our Dry Eye Center was developed to help the over 23 million Americans that suffer from Dry Eye Disease. We carry state-of-the-art diagnostic instruments that help detect what type of Dry Eye Syndrome you suffer from. We offer the most effective and efficient therapies including nutrition counseling, medications, tear savers, dry eye contact lenses, pore-cleasing techniques and lifestyle counseling. Two of the treatments we offer, MiboThermoflo and BlephEx, can not found in any other offices within a two hour drive.
Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) is one of the most common problems affecting the general population today. Dry Eye Syndrome is a breakdown of the quantity or quality of tears that moisten, cleanse, and protect the eyes. Without the proper tear quality, the eye has a decreased defense against allergens, dust, and microorganisms. When this protective coating dries up, the eyes may have a gritty or burning sensation and they may be more sensitive to light. Although the causes for Dry Eye Syndrome may be numerous, increased computer use is a common culprit. Proper care will not only increase your comfort, it will protect your eyes. At Rockford Family Eyecare we can perform a series of tests to help determine the cause of your dry eyes as well as find the proper treatment for it. Once the test results are obtained we can determine the treatment. Two of the main reasons for DES are Blepharitis and Meibomain Gland Dysfunction.
Blepharitis is one of the most common eye conditions seen by eye doctors, with the overall prevalence in the United States approaching 50%. The primary risk factors for the condition appear to be age and inadequate lid hygiene. Because the eyelid is one of the few body parts that rarely receives a thorough cleansing, staphylococcal biofilm accumulates along the lid margins over time. Whether these bacteria originate on the lids or migrate up from the nasal cavity early in life remains unknown, but we do know that they tend to increase with age. This may partly explain why concurrent ocular surface disorders such as meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye also tend to increase with age.
Despite its prevalence, blepharitis is largely ignored by clinicians because few treatments offer the potential for true success. Artificial tears and lid cleansing regimens may occasionally be prescribed, but such treatment is rarely effective alone.
An in-office procedure performed by the doctor uses a patented instrument called BlephEx, a handheld device that rotates a PVA sponge soaked in a commercial eyelid cleaning solution. The lid margins are debrided and exfoliated, and the meibomian glands are opened. With the sponge tip rotating at approximately 2,000 RPM, the harmful biofilms and exotoxins are removed. The procedure also likely reduces the population of bacteria to below the quorum-sensing numbers that induce virulence factor production. The following is a link to BlephEX and its benefits: http://rysurg.com/index.php/blephex-page.html
Another one of the most common reasons for DES is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. The Meibomian Glands are located along the lid margin and between your eyelashes. They produce and release the oil layer of your tears. When they become blocked or clogged your tears evaporate too quickly. The MiBoFlo Thermoflo is a therapeutic device providing an alternative therapy for dry eyes and is aimed at improving function of the meibomian glands. It uses a proprietary thermoelectric heat pump to help maximize liquefaction of meibum (the oil the glands produce), thus improving the preservation and function of the evaporative component of the tear film. The thermo control operates within a plus or minus 3% variance to maintain an effective treatment temperature of 108 degrees. Along with decreasing DES due to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, MiBoFlo can also reduce the life of a stye in half. The following is a link to MiBoFlo Thermoflo and its benefits: Mibo Thermoflo.
Contact Rockford Family Eyecare to schedule an exam and discuss treatment options for your specific type of Dry Eyes.
