Dry Eye Disease: causes, symptoms and treatments

How common is dry eye?

Dry eye complications are a common problem, even for those with otherwise healthy eyes, and are one of the most common reasons people visit the eye doctor. Dry eye can occur at any age and affects women more often than men.

In the past 20 years, dry eye has become a growing problem due to air travel, poor air quality, environmental allergies, and the increased use of computers and contact lenses.

Chronic dry eye syndrome can lead to serious long-term consequences. If left untreated, it can cause significant discomfort leading to scarring and increased infections that may result in vision loss.

What causes dry eye? 

The most common causes and risk factors of dry eye include:

• Age: tear production normally decreases with age; 75% of persons over 65 have dry eye
• Contact lenses: It’s important to follow the direction of your prescribing physician when it comes to contact lens use.
• Environmental Factors: wind, dust, smoke, hot, dry weather
• Decreased blinking: reading or watching screens (cell phone, computer, etc.), reduces the quantity and quality of our tear film
• Allergies: hay fever, pollen, dust, and animals
• Medications: antihistamines, antidepressants, hormones, blood pressure medications, diuretics, and even some over-the-counter medications
• Medical conditions: rosacea, diabetes, Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis
• Hormonal changes: due to pregnancy, contraceptive use, or menopause
• Vitamin A or beta-carotene deficiency
• History of Accutane use, chemotherapy, or radiation
• Laser vision correction has been linked with temporary dry eye symptoms
• Blepharitis: inflammation along the base of the eyelashes and lid margin adds debris to the tear film.
• Incomplete eyelid closure: following eyelid surgery, or occurring naturally with wide-set eyes, can cause eye dryness.

What are the symptoms of dry eye?

Common symptoms of dry eye include:

• Burning, pain, or soreness inside or around the eyes
• Sandy or a gritty feeling of a foreign substance in your eye
• Red or itchy eyes

• Light sensitivity or episodes of blurred vision, usually worse at the end of the day

• Occasional or constant tearing (watery eyes)

• Eye fatigue

• Decreased contact lens tolerance or increased contact lens discomfort

What are the treatments for dry eye? 

Dry eye treatments fall into three categories that can be prescribed based on the severity of your symptoms and your response to your individualized treatment plan. They are lifestyle modifications, medications for the eye, and minimally invasive procedures.

Lifestyle modifications for dry eye. 

Lifestyle modifications are the first line of treatment and include:

• • limiting your computer screen time
  • wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from the wind while outside
  • taking a break from contact lens wear
  • being meticulous about makeup removal
  • placing warm compresses on your eyes to stimulate oil gland function
  • scrubbing the eyelid margins to remove debris at the eyelash root thoroughly
  • adding Omega-3 fatty acid supplements or flaxseed helps fight inflammation and provides essential fatty acids that aid the function of your eyelid oil glands.

Medications to treat dry eye

The underlying problem with dry eye is a persistent inflammation of the cornea and the inner lining of the eyelids. Some medications we recommend include preservative-free tears, gels, and ointments. Bedtime ointments are prescribed for more severe dry eyes and people whose eyelids don’t close at night.

Anti-inflammatory treatments, such as Restasis, Xiidra, Tacrolimus, and oral doxycycline, can also be good first-line treatments.

Oculocin eye drops 

This advanced organic eye drop was developed in Europe and contains familiar natural ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, and propolis, which have been used for centuries to treat inflammation and infection.

We’re pleased to have been asked to serve as Los Angeles County’s exclusive provider of Oculocin.

Autologous serum eye drops

Autologous serum eye drops are a treatment for severe dry eyes made from your own blood. Here's how it works: a small amount of your blood is taken, and the red and white blood cells are removed, leaving behind a serum. This serum is rich in nutrients and growth factors that can help to heal the surface of your eye and improve symptoms of dry eyes. The serum is then diluted with a sterile, preservative-free solution to make eye drops.

Because they're made from your own blood, these drops are generally well tolerated and can be very helpful for people with severe dry eyes. Note that ASEDs are not tear substitutes and are often used in conjunction with other treatments.

PRP Eye Drops

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) eye drops are a biologically based treatment derived from a patient’s own blood. Similar to autologous serum eye drops, they focus on utilizing the regenerative properties of platelets. PRP eye drops are used to treat various ocular surface disorders, particularly those involving significant epithelial defects and inflammation, such as dry eye.

Advanced minimally invasive procedures for dry eye 

If lifestyle changes and medications do not relieve dry eye symptoms, our doctors may recommend minimally invasive procedures to help manage the condition.

Our eye tear film consists of numerous components, any of which might be lacking. Unfortunately, no one solution works for everybody, which is why the Assil Gaur Eye Institute offers many possible approaches to solving dry eye issues.  These treatments include:

DELIT and DELIT Plus for Dry Eye 

DELIT (Dry Eye Light Intense Therapy) was coined at our Eye Institute and was developed by modifying an FDA-approved platform called Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy, initially developed for cosmetic use. By superheating the area around your eyes, IPL kills germs, suppresses inflammation, and shrinks blood vessels that could be pressing on and blocking oil ducts. 

Learn more about DELIT and DELIT Plus for dry eye.

BLEPHEX 

BLEPHEX is a new in-office procedure for treating eyelid inflammation (known as blepharitis). The procedure eliminates the biofilm and bacterial toxins that cause eyelid inflammation and dry eye and improves the overall health of your eyelid.

Learn more about BLEPHEX for eyelid inflammation.

TearCare 

TearCare is a wearable eyelid technology device that administers gentle heat directly to the meibomian glands to liquefy the meibum, express clogged oil glands, and stimulate tear production. The device allows your eyes to open and blink during the procedure, which typically takes less than 3 minutes.

Learn more about TearCare for dry eye.

Punctul Plugs

Punctal plugs, also known as lacrimal plugs, are small medical devices inserted into the tear ducts (puncta) of the eye to block drainage. They are commonly used to treat dry eye syndrome and other conditions where tear conservation is beneficial.

Learn more about Punctul Plugs for dry eye disease.

Amniotic Membrane

The use of amniotic membrane (AM) for treating dry eye and other ocular surface disorders has gained prominence due to its unique biological properties. The amniotic membrane is the innermost layer of the placenta, consisting of a thick basement membrane and an avascular stromal matrix. It has been found to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-scarring, and anti-angiogenic properties, making it highly beneficial for ocular surface healing.

Conjunctival Chalasis Removal 

Conjunctival chalasis removal (also known as conjunctivoplasty or conjunctival resection), is a minimally invasive procedure aimed at treating conjunctivochalasis—a condition characterized by redundant, loose, and non-elastic conjunctival tissue that can interfere with tear distribution and cause symptoms of dry eye.

Chalazion Removal

Chalazion removal, or chalazion excision, is a minor surgical procedure to remove a chalazion, a cystic lump in the eyelid caused by the blockage of a meibomian gland. While chalazion removal is not a direct treatment for dry eye, a chalazion can significantly exacerbate dry eye symptoms and contribute to ocular surface irritation. Thus, addressing a chalazion that worsens dry eye symptoms can improve the symptoms of dry eye.

Learn more about chalazion and chalazion removal.

Epiphora Surgery

Epiphora surgery for dry eye addresses the issue of excessive tearing, or epiphora, which can occur paradoxically in some cases of dry eye syndrome. Epiphora often results from either an overproduction of tears or, more commonly in dry eye patients, a dysfunction in tear drainage due to various factors such as blocked tear ducts, punctal stenosis, or malposition of the eyelid.

Learn more about Epiphora surgery for dry eye.

Assil Gaur Eye Institute is your partner in treating and monitoring dry eye.

Sometimes, despite lifestyle modifications, people may notice that their eyes become drier over time, and techniques used to provide relief are no longer effective. That's why it's essential to have regular follow-up appointments with our dry eye specialists to monitor any changes in your symptoms and explore new treatment options that can address your situation.

There may be no single treatment to address your dry eye condition completely. Our dry eye care ophthalmologists and optometrists will work with you to find the underlying cause of your dry eye to provide the correct combination of therapies that best suit your symptoms.

Our ‌dry eye center is conveniently located for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area in or near Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles.

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