It’s National Dry Eye Month!
Did you know that July is National Dry Eye month? And did you know that almost 5 million Americans over the age of 50 suffer from dry eye disease? Dry eye disease occurs when there are imbalances or deficiencies in the tear film of your eyes. This film, which is refreshed every time you blink, is more than just water — it’s a three-layered barrier consisting of mucin, water, and an outer covering of lipid to prevent evaporation. And when our eyes don’t produce enough of one of the components or make enough tears, we experience dry eye. Wondering why this might be happening to you? Here are the most common causes:
- Age
- Immune system disorders such as Sjogren’s syndrome
- Eyelid dysfunction
- Trauma
- Atrophic (loss of function) Meibomian glands
- Medications
- Constant exposure to moving air (ceiling fans, etc.)
- Long periods of computer use
So, now that you know the how and why of dry eye disease, you’re probably curious about treatment. At The Eye Institute’s Advanced Dry Eye Center, we offer several dry eye solutions, with our newest treatment solution being the Lumenis m22 IPL or Intense Pulse Light treatment. This treatment combats inflammation and better yet, it’s non-invasive.
Another popular and effective treatment option we offer at The Eye Institute is Lipiflow. Lipiflow takes a different approach as it treats obstructions in your glands and helps combat dry eye at the source.
You can view all of our dry eye disease treatment options here or click the button below to request an appointment at our Advanced Dry Eye Center.
