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If your eyes feel gritty, tired and irritated more often than not, you may be plagued with a troublesome condition called dry eye. Our Tear Institute team uses state-of-the-art technology and treatment options to handle everyday dry eye to advanced cases of an ocular surface disease. Our team screens all patients for dry eye, even if they exhibit no symptoms so that no case of this progressive disease will go unseen.
If you are suffering from dry eye or have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with us for an in-depth dry eye examination.
The eyes are sensitive organs that require both hydration and protection against outside threats. The meibomian glands and lacrimal glands address this need by working together to maintaining a constant tear film on the front of the eye. 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. Any imbalances or deficiencies in the tear film can result in dry eye, whether you’re failing to produce one particular component or you’re simply not making enough tears.
Causes of dry eye may include: • Age • Immune system disorders such as Sjogren’s syndrome • Eyelid dysfunction • Trauma • Atrophic meibomian glands • Medications • Constant exposure to moving air (ceiling fans, etc.) • Long periods of computer use
Whatever the underlying reasons for your dry eye, don’t let it go untreated. Chronic dryness can cause redness, itching, irritation, blurred vision, foreign body sensation, extreme sensitivity to light and thick collections of mucus in or around the eyes. Ironically enough, you may also suffer from watery eyes as your lacrimal glands fight to maintain hydration. Even worse, your unprotected eyes may be especially prone to infections and other health threats, to the point that is permanently sight threatening.
Our Dry Eye Institute Exam includes:
Dry eye, ocular rosacea, blepharitis, and other irritating eye conditions have been challenging to correct — until now. The team at The Eye Institute has a treatment for people who live with chronic dry eye, or itchiness caused by ocular rosacea.
Lumenis IPL (Intense Pulse Light) can help with redness, skin problems, and eye problems. This safe treatment uses light to target the skin.
Arrive with a clean face (no makeup, moisturizer) at your appointment. Ultrasound gel well be applied to your face to to help make the procedure more efficient. Then, we gently press the cooled IPL applicator to your skin on a small rectangular area and project a beam of visible light, similar to laser treatment. IPL’s light releases in many different wavelengths, like a photo flash. This scattered light penetrates to the second layer of the skin without harming the top layer and is targeting the selected chromophore. For example when treating rosacea, the chromophore would be oxyhemoglobin.
We repeat this process, working our way across the face. The area of treatment depends on the issue we’re treating. For ocular rosacea and dry eye, we’ll move across your face from one side to the other and over the bridge of your nose.
The IPL can also be used to treat sunspots, telangiectasia (spider veins), and erythema (redness) around the eyes. Treated patients report a more youthful appearance afterward; results are immediate.
The treatment is now available at our Seaboard Station location. If you think IPL might help you, ask your TEI doctor for more information.
Bring your dry eyes to our Advance Dry Eye Center. Our optometrists will ask you about your medical/medication history, your work habits, and your everyday environment. They will conduct an in-depth examination to determine what’s causing the problem.
Some treatments are eye drops, cleaners, and scrubs. Your optometrist will determine the best approach for your dry eye.
Some of Our Other Dry Eye Solutions
The Eye Institute is open starting Monday, May 11 for all eyecare, vision change, and medical eye care. Call now to schedule your annual eye exam.
Safety Protocols The Eye Institute is dedicated to providing care to the public while keeping all patrons and employees safe and healthy. Please note that a facial mask or covering is required during your visit,and we are not able to provide patients with masks. Please read more in our safety protocols.
Telehealth Appointments If you’d prefer to remain at home, we are offering telehealth appointments via a HIPAA-compliant platform. Telehealth is only available for some types of appointments. We will use your medical insurance for this visit and bill it as a “specialist office visit.” No insurance? No problem. We have standard rates for telehealth appointments for you. Call your preferred location to set up a telehealth appointment.
We also continue to serve you in the following ways:
We look forward to serving you, and please reach out to us if you need us. We’re just a phone call away!
Thank you for visiting GoodLooks. We’re now part of The Eye Institute family. You can still visit us in the same North Raleigh location or check out one of our other two offices in Raleigh or Knightdale. Learn more on the “Locations” page on our website.
We look forward to seeing you again soon!
