Do You Know The Latest Advancement In Dry Eye Treatment?

  • By Germaine Shock
  • 01 Jun, 2017

Do your eyes ever feel dry and itchy? Do you ever experience eye fatigue, redness, blurred vision, or excessive watering? You could be suffering from dry eyes - especially if you live in Oklahoma City which ranks as the 17th driest city in the U.S. And despite the name, dry eye isn’t just an annoying feeling - it’s a legitimate chronic eye disease that affects an estimated 4.88 million Americans over the age of 50 alone. And since another estimated 89% of the population have never even heard of Dry Eye Syndrome, it’s easy to see why some would just write off those annoying symptoms as a normal part of their lives.

What Is Dry Eye?

To better understand what dry eye is, let’s compare the two different kinds of dry eye - meibomian gland dysfunction and aqueous deficiency dry eye. Meibomian glands are small glands that line the upper and lower rims of the eyelids. These glands secrete oils onto the surface of the eye that help keep your tears from evaporating too quickly. In short, meibomian gland dysfunction or meibomianitis occurs when these glands become blocked or are otherwise malformed and are no longer able to adequately produce the oils necessary to the oily layer of your tears. This results in dryness and discomfort. Typically in cases of meibomianitis, the eyes produce enough tears, but the quality is inadequate.

Conversely, the tears might have enough oil to keep them on the eyes longer, but a dysfunction of the lacrimal gland causes a decrease in tear production altogether - this is the case with aqueous deficiency.

Risk Factors For Dry Eye

Some factors that can increase your risk for dryness and dry eye syndrome are:

  • Hormonal shifts associated with pregnancy, menopause, birth control pills, and hormone replacement therapy
  • Smoking
  • Autoimmune disorders like Sjogren’s, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Certain medications such as antihistamines, blood pressure medication, and anti depressants
  • Eyelid problems including incomplete closure of the lids when blinking or sleeping
  • Long hours spent on computers or handheld devices
  • Poor eyelid hygiene especially associated with cosmetic use

Conventional Treatment

The treatment for your dryness will be dependent on both the underlying cause as well as the type of dryness you have (inadequate tear production vs inadequate tears). Some of the more common treatment types include over the counter and prescription eye drops that either help to keep the eyes lubricated and comfortable or stimulate tear production, nutritional supplements, massage and heat therapy of the meibomian glands, and occlusion of the tear drainage ducts.

The Latest and Greatest

The newest treatment developed for those suffering from dry eye is is so advanced yet simple that you truly have to experience it to believe it. It takes the hassle of fumbling to get drops in your eyes several times a day (and messing up your makeup if you wear it) or trying to remember a lengthy bedtime heat massage routine completely out of the equation. Sound too good to be true? It isn’t!
True Tear is a compact hand held device that when inserted intranasally stimulates the body’s  trigeminal nerve which in turn sends a message to the body to produce tears. The results are instant and can last for up to several hours. The True Tear device can be used on the go and is easily carried in a pocket or handbag. It consists of a rechargeable base and a disposable hydrogel tip. What’s even better is that when you use True Tear, you are producing your own natural tears vs trying to replace them with an artificial tear or lubricant.

Try It Today!

So where can you find this magical device? Precision Vision of Edmond was actually the first vision care center in Oklahoma to launch it to patients! In fact, we are one of only 20 other practices across the country to have access to the revolutionary product. So give us a call today at 405-341-2062 to set up an appointment to try it out.


Click here for a more comprehensive breakdown of dry eye syndrome and the other treatment options available. And visit the True Tear website for more information on the product!

Eye-Q

By Germaine Shock 01 Aug, 2017
By now most all of you have likely seen or are at least familiar with a solar eclipse. Without getting into too much of the scientific details, a solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the sun and earth during its orbit causing a partial or complete blockage of our view of the sun. Although a solar eclipse only lasts for a few minutes, its thrilling impact will stay with you for much longer.
By Germaine Shock 20 Jul, 2017
School's out for summer! With a little extra free time and flexibility in your schedule, now is the perfect time to  bring your kiddos in for their eye health exams. Most parents will logically assume that since their child hasn’t had any complaints, they must not be having any problems - or that their child is simply too young to need an eye exam. Think again! 
By Germaine Shock 06 Jul, 2017
Sometimes when it comes to kiddos, you’ll find yourself navigating through some gray areas. For example, determining how much screen time is too much - or how old they should be to watch that scary movie. These definitive numbers are so hard to pinpoint simply because no two children are the same. They all mature at different rates, and we as parents have to adjust accordingly. Fortunately, here are a few tips to help in one of those gray areas -  figuring out if your child is ready for contact lenses.
By Germaine Shock 23 Jun, 2017
We have all made a questionable decision or two at least once in our lives. However, when it comes to your eyes and vision, this is one area where it is always better to be safe than sorry. Here are a few of the most common mistakes made by contact lens wearers and a safer alternative to keep those peepers healthy.
By Germaine Shock 14 Jun, 2017

More than likely if you are reading this, you’ve experienced the strange sensation of an eyelid twitch. It can happen anywhere, at any time, and almost always stops the moment you try to point it out to someone else (and of course resumes the second they turn away just to make you look extra crazy). Well you aren’t crazy - at least in this case - eyelid twitches are a real thing!

Myo-what?

Better known in professional lingo as “myokymia”, this twitching sensation is the result of involuntary, spontaneous, rippling muscle contractions. These spasms can actually occur in almost any of the muscles in your body. When relating to the eyelids, myokymia is most common in your lower lids but can happen in your top lids as well.

Eyelid myokymia is typically very temporary. The twitching will usually only last for a few minutes, but in some rare cases can last for a few days or even weeks.

Your doctor will likely advise you that there is no cause for concern as common Myokymia resolves on its own without the need for treatment. Other than causing mild annoyance, the eyelid twitching shouldn’t cause any long term complications or interference with your vision.
By Germaine Shock 01 Jun, 2017

Do your eyes ever feel dry and itchy? Do you ever experience eye fatigue, redness, blurred vision, or excessive watering? You could be suffering from dry eyes - especially if you live in Oklahoma City which ranks as the 17th driest city in the U.S. And despite the name, dry eye isn’t just an annoying feeling - it’s a legitimate chronic eye disease that affects an estimated 4.88 million Americans over the age of 50 alone. And since another estimated 89% of the population have never even heard of Dry Eye Syndrome, it’s easy to see why some would just write off those annoying symptoms as a normal part of their lives.

By Germaine Shock 16 May, 2017

In honor of Mother’s Day kicking off Women’s Week, the Eye- Q blog has decided to dedicate a post solely to women’s eye health related issues. So what makes women’s eye health so special? Women are actually more commonly affected than men by a number of ocular health issues including dryness, cataracts, age related macular degeneration, and complications from autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren's or lupus. Furthermore, according to Prevent Blindness America, 66% of people who are blind or visually impaired are women.

Let’s start with that statistic - why are women more at risk for eye complications than men?
By Germaine Shock 05 May, 2017
May is healthy vision month - and as we draw nearer to the official first day of Summer, what better time to discuss one of the most commonly overlooked parts of eye health - UV protection. Most of you are probably fully aware of the negative effects UV rays can have on your skin, but did you know the sun can be just as damaging to your eyes?
By Germaine Shock 25 Apr, 2017

No, it’s not a typo. Sjogren’s - pronounced show-grins - is a type of autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation and damage to various parts of the body; most commonly the tear and saliva glands. This damage results in symptoms ranging from dryness and discomfort to difficulty swallowing and can even affect the lungs and kidneys.

So why exactly does this happen? Let’s start with a quick health lesson. The immune system is responsible for fighting disease and killing harmful viruses and bacteria. However, with autoimmune diseases, your immune system has a hard time knowing when to stop fighting and mistakenly attacks your own body. With Sjogren’s, your exocrine glands - the glands that secrete moisture such as saliva, sweat, tears, breast-milk, gastric mucous, etc - become the main targets.
By Germaine Shock 05 Apr, 2017

So it’s the weekend and the mild discomfort you were experiencing midweek has now escalated into full blown intense pain. Or maybe you were working on the yard and something flew into your eye? Or perhaps you were wearing your contact lenses for too long and your eye is now extremely red and unhappy. Who do you call? (I’ll give you a hint, it’s not Ghostbusters.) But seriously, should you go to the ER if you injure your eye in some way? The answer might surprise you.

More Posts
Share by:
<