A Dry Eye Center of Excellence

What is Dry Eye?

When the normal flow of tears over your eyes is interrupted in some way, or your tear film is abnormal, you may suffer from the condition known as dry eye syndrome. If your tears don’t provide enough moisture for your eyes, you may experience chronic symptoms like:

• A gritty, itchy feeling in your eyes
• Eye redness and irritation
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light

If left untreated, dry eyes can become highly uncomfortable and affect your ability to perform daily tasks or keep you from participating in activities you enjoy.

What is Blepharitis?

Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelid margins. This inflammation causes the oil glands along your eyelids to not function properly and die off. This can lead to redness, itching, burning, and watering, especially upon waking. Blepharitis, 87% of the time it is the root cause of “Dry Eye Syndrome” which in its worst case can cause blindness and loss of eye. 

To relieve symptoms and control further damage, it is necessary to reduce the inflammation and help the oil glands express more oil onto the surface of the eyes. The treatments include IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) or RF (Radio Frequency), a routine of eyelid hygiene and a medical grade supplement.

What is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)?

Meibomian gland dysfunction typically occurs when the gland openings get clogged, allowing less oils to the surface of the eye. MGD can lead to dry eye syndrome and Blepharitis if left untreated.

Using a Lipiscan, we are able to take an image of your glands and evaluate the condition of your glands. You will also be able to see what these glands look like and understand why it is so important to keep these glands functioning to avoid costly and irreversible damage in the future.

What causes dry eyes?

The cause of your dry eyes may be environmental, natural aging, or a side effect of a medication.

Long exposure to air conditioners, heaters and fans can dry out your tear film and contribute to symptoms of dry eye syndrome.

Certain diseases including Sjogren’s syndrome, collagen vascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis can all contribute to dry eye syndrome. Any time your body doesn’t produce enough quality tears to lubricate your eyes, you may experience the symptoms of dry eye syndrome.

How is dry eye syndrome treated?

Artificial tear drops, gels and ointments are the most common way to treat dry eyes, but sometimes that isn't enough. Living in a dry climate like Colorado, sometimes we need to do more for our eyes.

After participating in multiple research studies over the years, we have been able to determine the most effective treatments to battle dry eyes.

Depending on the severity of your dry eyes and meibomian glands, we offer several at home regiments as well as in office procedures to help you overcome the symptoms and progression of dry eye.

If you’re experiencing dry eyes that don’t seem to get better with over-the-counter eye drops, call or schedule an appointment one of our providers at our office located in Aurora, CO. 

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio Frequency (RF) Explained

Meibomian glands are responsible for carrying oil to the surface of your eye to keep it moisturized and protected. When these glands die off, the oil cannot get to your corneal surface, causing damage to the cornea. Ultimately if left untreated, many complications can arise and can even lead to blindness.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio Frequency (RF) are dry eye treatments that address the root cause of most dry eye issues: meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Both treatments are safe and non-invasive in office procedures and consist of 4 treatments a month apart. Patients can return to daily activities right after the treatment. 

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)

IPL uses short but powerful bursts of light of a specific wavelength to gently heat the meibomian glands to about 43°C, which in turn, melts any obstructions present in the glands. The technician then gently expresses the glands once the oils are heated. With the removal of any obstructions, the glands then gain increased oil production that results in healthy tears. 

Radio Frequency

Radiofrequency is similar to IPL and has the ability to provide uniform bulk heating at an optimal temperature to treat the Meibomian Glands. Heat delivered during the procedure melts the oil that is clogging the glands and consistent pressure from the application movement allows for easy simultaneous expression. In addition, the technician gently manually expresses the glands once the oils are heated. 

Don’t Take Our Word for it, Check out the Research Data:

Transcutaneous Radiofrequency-mediated Meibomian Gland Expression is an Effective Treatment for Dry Eye: A Prospective Cohort Trial (openophthalmologyjournal.com)

Efficacy and safety of Intense pulsed light therapy for dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction: a randomized trial - Yan - Annals of Palliative Medicine (amegroups.com)

Know More About Dry Eye Syndrome

Dr. Kim Burrell and Dr. Eric Van Meter at Centennial Eye & Cosmetic Associates specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eyes so you can finally get lasting relief. Located in Aurora, Colorado, our knowledgeable, friendly team provides state-of-the-art treatment for dry eyes and a variety of other medical eye conditions.

 Eye diseases and conditions like dry eyes can affect your vision and cause lifelong discomfort, don't delay and call us today!

Don't believe us?! Check out what WebMD has to say about it:

Dry eyes: Dry Eyes and What You Can Do About Them (webmd.com)

MGD: Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD): Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment (webmd.com)

Blepharitis: Blepharitis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention (webmd.com)

Dry Eye Product Tutorials

Our Published Research Study on Radio Frequency as an Effective Treatment for Dry Eye!