What is Dry Eye Treatment?
Have you been recommended eye drops after eye drops with warm compresses for your dry eyes? Unfortunately, those only provide temporary relief. We offer different treatment options with the newest technology to target the root causes of your dry eyes.
Book your consultation today and find relief from dry eyes sooner.
What is Dry Eye Disease and what are the symptoms?
Dry eye is an inflammatory condition caused by poor-quality or insufficient tears.
- Common symptoms of dry eye include:
- Blurred vision
- Eye redness/fatigue
- Light sensitivity
- String discharge
- Grittiness
- Difficulty seeing at night/wearing contacts
- Constant dryness or watery eyes
Not sure if you have dry eyes?
If your eyes feel dry and uncomfortable, please take our dry eye screening quiz to determine if dry eyes may be the cause.
How we diagnose Dry Eyes at Eyelab
The first step for any dry eye treatment is a complete dry eye assessment and consultation. Depending on the severity and cause, our doctors will discuss the best options for you and your lifestyle. The following tests are performed at the assessment:Medmont Meridia
An advanced ocular surface analyser that takes images of the meibomian oil glands in the eyelids to assess their quantity and health, and measures the tear break-up time (TBUT), tear film height and many more.
Meibomian Gland Evaluator
The only standardized instrument that provides a repeatable evaluation of meibomian gland function mimicking that of a normal blink of an eye.
Tearlab Osmolarity System
Provides measurement of the osmolarity (salt concentration) of human tears. This is an objective and quantitative point-of-care diagnostic test that provides precise and predictive information.
Tearlab Osmolarity System
Tear sample collection and detection of an inflammatory biomarker MMP9 that is consistently elevated in the tears of patients with dry eye disease.
How do we treat Dry Eyes at Eyelab?
The following treatments are methods we use to treat Dry Eyes at Eyelab. Treatments used vary between patients based on the results of the assessment.
Zocular Eyelid System Treatment (ZEST)
Did you know nearly 80% of dry eye complications began at the eyelid margins? The oil residue, dirt, dead skin and bacteria around the eyelids can lead to itching and burning sensations due to inflammation and exacerbate dry eye symptoms.
ZEST is an in-office deep cleaning dry eye treatment that works by gently exfoliating the eyelids to restore their natural state. ZEST is an okra-infused product with restorative and healing properties, including control of Demodex.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
IPL is a powerful light therapy that targets this root cause of dry eyes by minimizing inflammatory blood vessels around the eyelid margins to reduce inflammation. The light energy that it provides can also warm the meibomian glands to increase oil expression and reduce the load of ocular bacteria and mites that stimulate infection.
Radio Frequency (RF)
RF is a new, non-invasive dry eye treatment that combats oil gland dysfunction, one of the most common contributors of dry eye. It uses heat to unclog the oil glands in the eyelids to release natural oils into the eye to protect your tears from evaporation.
Book an appointment with us to treat your dry eyes
Frequently Asked Questions
First, we will perform baseline dry eye measurements with advanced diagnostics, photos and a questionnaire. Depending on the severity and cause, we will go over an individualized treatment plan suited to you and your lifestyle. Signs and symptoms are assessed during follow-ups and treatments are modified accordingly.
The dry eye patient will go through an individualized light therapy that helps reduce inflammation around the eyes and warm the oil glands to help improve the patient’s symptoms and comfort.
Our IPL sessions are booked for 30 to 45 minutes at a time and are usually two-on-one with a doctor and a technician. 20 minutes will be dedicated to active therapy. 10 minutes, in the end, will be used for post-procedure assessments and to review post-treatment care. If it is the first IPL session, then a pre-treatment questionnaire and consent will also be filled out.
The dry eye patient will go through an individualized heat therapy that helps unclog the oil glands in the eyelids to release natural oils into the eye to prevent tear evaporation.
Our RF sessions are booked for 45 to 60 minutes at a time and are usually two-on-one with a doctor and a technician. 30 minutes will be dedicated to active therapy. The doctor will then spend around 10 minutes manually expressing the oil glands. 10 minutes, in the end, will be used for post-procedure assessments and to review post-treatment care. If it is the first RF session, then a pre-treatment questionnaire and consent will also be filled out.
The length of the in-office advanced treatment will vary depending on the dry eye cause and condition. Typical programs run between 4 to 8 in-office sessions.
$200 for a one-hour consultation. The cost of the In-Office Advanced Dry Eye treatment will depend on the assessment results.
We can treat patients of all ages! If you are someone who is constantly affected by the symptoms of dry eye disease and have found at-home relief options like eyedrops to be demanding or unhelpful, then we are here to help!
Unfortunately, dry eye treatments are not covered by the MSP. However, some extended health plans may offer partial reimbursements. Please note that the clinic won’t be able to bill directly for dry eye treatments, so patients will have to submit an invoice to their extended health provider.
You do not need a referral. To better understand your situation, our staff will help you book a dry eye consultation where our doctors will determine the best course of action for you, and will ask for you to complete a dry eye questionnaire before the day of the assessment.
Depending on the severity and type of treatment, it can take one to multiple sessions to see results.
Want to treat your dry eye or curious to learn more?
Request an appointment and we’d love to help you out!