Dry Eye Disease
Dry eye disease can cause discomfort and irritation. Fortunately, the experienced doctors at Cincinnati Eye Institute offer a range of dry eye treatments to help our patients achieve relief.
Dry eye is a common condition, impacting more than
Trusted Source
Prevalence of Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease in the United States Among Adults Aged 18 Years and Older
Farrand KF, Fridman M, Stillman IÖ, Schaumberg DA
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16 million adults
in the United States. While occasional dry eye can be uncomfortable and irritating, chronic dry eye can prevent people from enjoying the activities they love and may cause damage to the eyes if left untreated. At Cincinnati Eye Institute, we offer a range of treatments designed to address both the symptoms and causes of chronic dry eye.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eyes are a result of insufficient tear production or of tear that are of poor quality. Tears, the natural lubricant for the eyes, are actually made up of three layers: an oily layer, a watery layer, and a mucus layer.
Each of these layers has a distinct purpose when it comes to lubricating our eyes, keeping them clean, and keeping them healthy. A lack of tears or a problem with any one of these tear layers can cause
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What is dry eye?
American Academy of Ophthalmology
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chronic dry eye.
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) occurs when the meibomian glands in the eyelids fail to produce enough oil to stabilize the tear film. This oily (lipid) layer is essential for reducing tear evaporation and keeping the eyes properly lubricated. When the glands become blocked or inflamed, tears evaporate too quickly, leading to dryness, irritation, redness, swollen eyelids, and fluctuations in vision. MGD is a major factor in dry eye disease and can worsen symptoms if left untreated.
Excess Tearing Can be Due to Dry Eye
Some patients with dry eyes present with excessive tearing (watery eyes). If your tears do not contain the right balance of water, salt, and oils, your tears cannot lubricate the eyes efficiently. Because the eyes are not receiving proper lubrication and become irritated, excess tears are produced, called reflex tears. These reflex tears are mostly water, run off the eyes and do not provide the needed lubrication for your eyes. If you have watery eyes for prolonged periods of time, it is important to have your eyes examined to understand if dry eye and the chemical composition of your tears could be the problem.
Conditions That Contribute to Dry Eyes
- Age
- Extended screen time
- Prolonged exposure to the sun
- Hormonal imbalances or changes
- Medications
- Dysfunction of the meibomian gland in the eye (meibomian gland dysfunction/MGD)
- Medical conditions including thyroid disorders, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis
Dry Eye Disease Symptoms
Of course, frequently dry eyes is a symptom of dry eye syndrome, but there are also other symptoms of poor or inadequate tears. Symptoms of dry eye generally affect both eyes, and may include:
- Stinging or burning
- Itching
- A feeling of grittiness
- Sensitivity to light
- Eyes that water frequently
- Feeling like there is something in your eyes
- Redness
- Mucus on or around the eyes
- Struggling with vision while driving at night
- Difficulty wearing contacts
- Eye fatigue
-
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Dry Eyes
Mayo Clinic
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Blurred vision
Treatment for Dry Eye Disease
If you have struggled with dry eyes and have not achieved suitable relief with over-the-counter eye drops, our doctors can recommend a number of treatment options.
Home Remedies for Dry Eye
- Warm compresses
- Prescription eye drops
- Deliberately blinking more frequently
- Evaluating medications you take to determine if one may be causing dry eye
- Lifestyle changes, such as adding Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, using a humidifier, or avoiding environmental irritants.
Prescriptions for Dry Eye
If at-home remedies and lifestyle adjustments don’t improve your dry eye symptoms, your eye doctor may suggest prescription eye drops.
In-Office Dry Eye Treatments
At Cincinnati Eye Institute, we offer advanced in-office treatments to provide effective relief from dry eye symptoms.
- LipiFlow®
- TearCare®
- BlephEx®
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy
- Tailor Made Tears
LipiFlow®
LipiFlow is an innovative treatment for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), one of the most common causes of dry eye disease. Our doctors will examine your tear film quality and meibomian glands to determine if this may be one of the causes of your dry eye. This automated system delivers gentle warmth and therapeutic pressure to the eyelids, effectively liquefying and expressing the obstructed oils, improving the tear film quality and providing long-lasting relief from dry eye symptoms.
What Can I Expect with Lipflow?
The procedure is performed in-office and requires no downtime. Our doctors will carefully place the LipiFlow® device on your eyelids, where it delivers controlled heat to the inner eyelid while simultaneously applying gentle pressure to the outer eyelid. Many patients notice symptom relief within weeks as the natural oil production stabilizes.
TearCare®
TearCare is an innovative in-office treatment that uses targeted heat therapy to comfortably relieve dry eye symptoms. Flexible, adhesive SmartLid™ devices are placed on the eyelids to deliver gentle, sustained warmth while allowing natural blinking. This process helps loosen blockages in the meibomian glands, which play a key role in keeping the tear film stable. After the heating phase, your doctor will gently massage the eyelids to remove any debris from the eye and clear oil gland blockages.
What Can I Expect with TearCare?
TearCare allows you to keep your eyes open throughout the procedure. Treatment begins with an applicator being applied to the outer edges of the upper and lower eyelids. Patients report that they find TearCare to be comfortable and pain-free. A constant, therapeutic heat will be applied through the applicators, which, combined with blinking, will help to unclog the gland. The entire procedure takes about 15 minutes, and most patients can return to normal activities immediately.
BlephEx®
BlephEx is an advanced in-office treatment designed to remove bacterial buildup and debris from the eyelid margins. Many cases of chronic dry eye and irritation are linked to blepharitis, a condition caused by the accumulation of biofilm, bacteria, and dead skin cells along the lash line. Over time, this buildup can lead to inflammation, redness, itching, and discomfort, as well as blockages in the meibomian glands, worsening dry eye symptoms.
What Can I Expect with Blephex?
Blephex uses a special handheld device with a soft, rotating micro-sponge to gently cleanse the edges of your eyelids and eyelashes. This process removes biofilm, bacteria, and debris, improving overall eyelid hygiene and reducing inflammation. The treatment is painless, with some patients indicating the cleansing brush can tickle.There is no downtime: you can resume your normal daily activities immediately.
Many patients experience noticeable relief from irritation and dryness shortly afterward. Because bacterial buildup can return over time, your doctor may recommend regular BlephEx treatments to maintain healthy eyelids and keep dry eye symptoms under control.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy
IPL therapy is a non-invasive light treatment that targets inflammation and abnormal blood vessels contributing to dry eye disease. By delivering precise pulses of light to the skin around the eyes, IPL helps reduce redness, improve meibomian gland function, and stabilize the tear film.
What can I expect with IPL?
Your doctor will begin IPL treatment by placing shields over your eyes to protect them from the light pulses. Following that, a thin layer of cooling gel will be applied to the treatment area and around the eyelids. Your doctor will then hold a small device over your eyelids to administer the pulses of light. The heat from the light pulses will melt the thick, crusty secretions blocking your oil glands.
After the IPL has successfully opened your meibomian glands, your doctor may also express a small amount of oil from the glands in your eyelids to stimulate normal oil flow. IPL is painless for most people and there are no major activity restrictions following treatment (except for avoidance of excessive sun exposure). Following the treatment, you may experience blurred vision for several days. There is no reason for concern, as it indicates that your meibomian glands are expressing more oil than your eyes are accustomed to. Aside from this, no downtime is required.
Most patients will notice an improvement in their dry eye symptoms following their first or second IPL treatment. However, it is generally recommended to return for additional treatments on a monthly basis for a four month period to ensure optimal results. Your doctor will recommend the appropriate number of sessions based on your specific needs.
Tailor Made Tears
Also referred to as autologous serum eye drops (ASED), these are replacement tears that are custom compounded to work in harmony with each patient’s unique body chemistry. Tailor Made Tears are prescription eye drops made from a patient’s own blood serum, which has been diluted to create an effective tear substitute. Because they’re made from your own blood, the eye drops contain the same biochemical components as your real tears, which are not found in artificial tears.
What can I expect with Tailor Made Tears?
CEI has its own dedicated in-house process for creating Tailor Made Tears. Your doctor can provide details about doing this at our CEI Blue Ash office. They will need to draw a small amount of blood. This blood is then separated into a serum that is formulated into Tailor Made Tears. It is then placed into sterile eye dropper bottles.
Everyone is different, but many patients using Tailor Made Tears see relief within the first few weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dry Eye
Can dry eye be cured?
For most patients, dry eye disease cannot be cured. However, with effective treatment our ophthalmologists are able to provide patients with significant, long-lasting symptom relief and prevent eye damage.
Can dry eye disease damage my eyes?
In cases where patients suffer from severe, chronic dry eye, it is possible to incur damage to the eyes. Untreated dry eye may lead to pain, corneal ulcers, corneal scars, and even vision loss.
Schedule an Appointment
If you are suffering from uncomfortable symptoms of dry eye disease, the experienced doctors at Cincinnati Eye Institute can help you achieve lasting relief. To learn more, please contact us to schedule an appointment.
1 Farrand KF, Fridman M, Stillman IÖ, Schaumberg DA. Prevalence of Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease in the United States Among Adults Aged 18 Years and Older. Am J Ophthalmol. 2017;182:90‐98. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2017.06.033. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28705660/. Accessed March 26, 2021.
2 American Academy of Ophthalmology. What is dry eye? Available: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-dry-eye. Accessed March 26, 2021.
3 Mayo Clinic. Dry Eyes. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-eyes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371863. Accessed December 1, 2024.
The doctors at Cincinnati Eye Institute have either authored or reviewed the content on this site.