Are your eyes burning? Do they water? Do they feel gritty? If so, you could be suffering from one of the many effects that COVID-19 has brought us…dry eye. This can be from wearing your mask, or from the increased near work on digital devices. We want to help alleviate these frustrating symptoms!This time of the year is already tough for patients that experience dry eye, even without the ramifications of COVID. We want to help with diagnosing the specific type of dryness you have and ways to alleviate those symptoms.
Dry eye diagnoses are not created equal. There are many types and causes of dry eye that require different methods of treatment to help with relief. Our clinic sees dry eye patients every day, and we have the diagnostic technology to support these patients in finding the best treatment options.
One of these new and exciting methods is IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). We have been seeing great results with this device in treating dry eye. This technology has been used for decades by doctors to treat a variety of skin conditions including rosacea, vascular and pigmented skin lesions, and even skin rejuvenation. IPL works by penetrating the skin and targeting abnormal blood vessels that are thought to be the root cause of oil gland inflammation on the eyelids. The dry eye protocol for IPL can treat your skin and eyelid inflammation while improving overall skin appearance.Treatments are completed in 4 separate sessions typically scheduled 3-4 weeks apart. Most patients experience a benefit after the second or third treatment. Individual maintenance treatments can be performed every 6-12 months if needed.