Diagnosis

Dry eye is a catch-all term referring to abnormalities of the tear layer which normally coats the surfaces of the eyes, providing clear vision and protecting sensitive surface tissues. You might be thinking “My eyes are not dry, they are very watery. This doctor must be losing his mind!” Here’s a good way to think about it: We make two different types of tears -- “good” tears and “bad” tears. “Good” tears lubricate our eyes and allow them to remain properly nourished. In dry eye, the body does not have enough of these “good” tears (or they evaporate too quickly). The body responds by making “bad” tears that are more like the tears we make when we cry. Unfortunately, these “bad” tears provide no benefit. Dry eye refers to not having enough of the “good” tears, but you might have plenty of “bad” tears which can lead to watery eyes. Our treatments revolve around making and maintaining adequate amounts of the “good” tears.

We take a very thorough but yet straightforward approach to determining whether you have dry eye disease. We schedule you for what we call a “dry eye evaluation.” This is a separate appointment than your comprehensive eye exam. This allows us the proper time to perform all of the testing required to make an accurate diagnosis and develop a treatment plan customized specifically for you.

The dry eye evaluation will start with a questionnaire of your symptoms. We will take high definition images of your eyes and eyelids to help pinpoint active areas of dryness and inflammation. We also perform a test called meibography which provides us a very detailed analysis of the oil glands inside your eyelids that are so crucial in producing and maintaining proper moisture for your eyes. Lastly, we perform a diagnostic test which measures for specific inflammatory markers in your tears that further narrow down the best treatment options for you.

Once the results are in, you will be given a detailed yet concise handout containing the specific recommendations for you. Depending on the severity of the condition it may be a multi step approach. No two cases of dry eye are the same. That also means that no two treatment plans will likely look the same. Customized treatment plans = better results. Our motto is “the difference is clear.” Our dry eye management is no exception.

In Office Treatments

At Home Treatments

Prescription Options

• Cequa / Restasis / Xiidra

• Tyrvaya

• Oxervate

• Regenereyes

• Steroid Eye Drops

• Oral Antibiotics

• Autologous Serum

• Other less common options

Over the Counter Options

• Artificial Tears

• Omega 3 Supplements

• Eyelid Wipes

• Heat Mask

• Eyelid Hypocholorous Spray

• And the list goes on and on!