Are your eyes watery?

Are they often red and irritated?

Are your eyelids swollen?

These are very common symptoms of a condition generally referred to as ‘dry eye’. This is a very common condition and is difficult to treat effectively.

Dry Eyes Therapy at Summerland Optometry

Dry eye disease can be frustrating given the limitations of current therapies. We are committed to keeping up-to date with therapies to offer the most innovated products and treatments available.

Dry eye is a multifactorial condition so each patient requires an individual treatment plan. A careful examination of the eyelids, the external eye and the tear film is critical to establishing a treatment plan for each individual case. Your optometrist will be able will recommend the therapies that will help out the most.

Some of the recommended treatments may include:

Lid Hygiene

The lids and lashes are often neglected in our daily hygiene routine and can contribute significantly to the symptoms associated with blepharitis and dry eye disease. Bacteria and mites can reside on the lashes and proper lid care is very important for your overall eye health.

Lubrication eyedrops

Eye Drops are improving rapidly as new research advances. Summerland Optometry stocks premium, non-preserved eyedrops that can make the difference in stubborn cases.

Bleph Ex in office treatment

This is an in-office procedure that takes about 15 minute that will give your eyelid margins a really deep cleaning.

More info on blephex

Nutritional supplements

Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatories that stimulate tear production and change the composition of the oils in the glands of your eyelid. Among their other health benefits, they have been proven to help control dry eye disease and improve eye gland function.

Bruder Mask

Uses heat therapy on the eyelid glands to secrete the oil component of the tears to improve tear film stability.

Prescription eye drops

Our doctors may prescribe medications to increase tear production and decrease eye inflammation. Common medications include steroid based drops, restasis and xiidra.

Bleph Ex

There is a new solution to treat your dry eye. We are very pleased to introduce BlephEx.

BlephEx is one of the newest treatments for dry eye disease and blepharitis. It is a simple 10 minute in-office procedure performed directly by us. This procedure effectively removes bacterial biofilm (crusty substance that accumulate over the years) from the surface of the lid margin and the glands that aid in the production of your natural tears.

Demodex

Demodex are tiny mites that commonly reside in our hair follicles and sebaceous glands.

The cause of chronic blepharitis can sometimes be secondary to a Demodex infestation of the eyelid follicles. Your optometrist will be able tell by examining your eyelashes if there is an overpopulation of the demodex mites. Tea tree oil kills demodex and is the most promising treatment – Blephadex wipes or Lid n Lash plus wipes contain tea tree oil.

Dry Eyes