What Causes Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry Eye Calgary Treatment By Market Mall Optometrist

When the eyes do not produce enough tears to supply necessary nourishment and lubrication or produce tears that do not have the proper chemical composition, Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome occurs. The tears your eyes produce are essential for overall eye health and clear vision. Problems or imbalance with the oil, mucus or water layer of the tear film can cause dry eyes. Here are some common causes of dry eyes in Calgary that can be treated at our clinic:

  • Natural aging process
  • Changes in hormones
  • Exposure to certain environmental conditions
  • Decreased blinking leading to eyes drying out
  • Side effects of medication

What Are The Symptoms of dry eye syndrome?

  • Stinging or burning sensation in the eye
  • Intermittent blurry vision
  • Trouble focusing
  • Pain and redness of the eye
  • Feeling as if something is in the eye
  • Heavy eyelids and itchy eyes
  • Eye fatigue

If you’re experiencing any Dry Eye Syndrome symptoms, contact us for treatment options. Learn more about out dry eye treatment in calgary, AB, Canada

DO YOU HAVE dry eye syndrome?

  • Do you use a digital device, such as a computer?

  • Do your eyes ever feel watery or feel dry?
  • Do your eyes ever itch or burn or sting or do you ever have blurry vision?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Dry iRelief & iBlinking Workout App is for you!

DOWNLOAD APP

Or try our Web App

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DO YOU HAVE dry eye syndrome?

  • Do you use a digital device, such as a computer?

  • Do your eyes ever feel watery or feel dry?
  • Do your eyes ever itch or burn or sting or do you ever have blurry vision?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Dry iRelief & iBlinking Workout App is for you!

DOWNLOAD APP
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Harmful Effects of Dry Eye

  • Left untreated dry eye will leave you susceptible to scarring of the sensitive tissues of your eye

  • Blurred vision due to drying of eyes

  • Light sensitivity

  • Dry eye makes wearing contact lenses more difficult, increasing the chances of getting an eye infection

Treatment of Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome is essential to your visual quality and health.

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Dry Eye Diagnosis At Our Calgary Clinic

Dry eye syndrome can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam at Market Mall. If your optometrist suspects you have Dry Eye, a diagnosis will begin with the following questions:

  • General health
  • Medication intake
  • Living environment
  • Work environment

Using this information your optometrists at Market Mall will determine whether further Dry eye testing is necessary. Other forms of dry eye testing include:

  • Examination of your eyelids for inflammation, clogged oil glands and color of oil excretions.
  • Examination of the cornea using a Slit Lamp and special dyes to evaluate the amount, quality, and distribution of tears.
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Dry Eye Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Dry Eye Syndrome. There are a variety of treatment options to maintain your eye health and allow you to see comfortably. Your optometrists at Market Mall are an excellent source of advice for the dry eye treatment for your lifestyle. Here are some of your options:Learn more about out dry eye treatment clinic in calgary, AB, Canada

  • Eye drops – ask your Calgary optometrist which ones are best for you
  • Gels and ointments
  • Warm compresses used to warm the glands in the eyelids to help clear up blockages
  • Prescription medication that helps your body produce more tears
  • Punctual plugs – tiny, bio-friendly plugs inserted into the corner of eyelids to help retain tears
  • Meibomian gland debridement
  • Meibomian gland expression
  • Blinking Exercise
  • Environmental Modification

The I-PEN® Tear Osmolarity System

The New Standard for Diagnosing Dry Eye Disease

I-PEN®, the world’s first, hand-held, point-of-care, solid state electronic diagnostic device to detect and indirectly measure the tear film osmolarity levels associated with marginal, mild, moderate and severe Dry Eye Disease.

ipen

BlephEx Treatment

BlephEx®…The first and Only Eye Doctor Eyelid Cleaning Procedure to Help Maintain Clean and Healthy Lids.  Over 50% of all patients suffer from some type of dry eye and blepharitis symptoms. Will I be a candidate for BlephEx?  If you suffer from some of these symptoms, you may be suffering from blepharitis:

  • Dry eyes

  • Itching or scratchy eyes

  • Foreign body sensation

  • Eye rubbing

  • Tearing

  • Crusting

  • Redness/Inflammation

  • Mattering

HOW DOES BLEPHEx® WORK?

BlephEx is a painless in-office procedure performed by our Market Mall Eye Clinic Eye Doctors.
A revolutionary new patented BlephEx handpiece is used to very precisely and carefully, spin a medical grade micro-sponge along the edge of your eyelids and lashes, removing scurf and debris and exfoliating your eyelids.
The patented micro-sponge is disposable and for optimal cleaning and exfoliating, a fresh clean one is used for each individual eyelid. The eyes are rinsed well afterward.
The procedure lasts about 6 -8 minutes. Most patients simply report a tickling sensation. A numbing drop is usually placed in each eye prior to treatment for increased comfort.
After the procedure, the patient is instructed on how to maintain their clean eyelids with regular nightly lid hygiene. Since home treatments are only semi-effective, the procedure is typically repeated at 4-6 month intervals.

If you’re experiencing any Dry Eye Syndrome symptoms, contact us for treatment options. Learn more about out dry eye treatment in calgary, AB, Canada

HOW DOES BLEPHEx® WORK?

BlephEx is a painless in-office procedure performed by our Market Mall Eye Clinic Eye Doctors.
A revolutionary new patented BlephEx handpiece is used to very precisely and carefully, spin a medical grade micro-sponge along the edge of your eyelids and lashes, removing scurf and debris and exfoliating your eyelids.
The patented micro-sponge is disposable and for optimal cleaning and exfoliating, a fresh clean one is used for each individual eyelid. The eyes are rinsed well afterward.
The procedure lasts about 6 -8 minutes. Most patients simply report a tickling sensation. A numbing drop is usually placed in each eye prior to treatment for increased comfort.
After the procedure, the patient is instructed on how to maintain their clean eyelids with regular nightly lid hygiene. Since home treatments are only semi-effective, the procedure is typically repeated at 4-6 month intervals.

If you’re experiencing any Dry Eye Syndrome symptoms, contact us for treatment options. Learn more about out dry eye treatment in calgary, AB, Canada

XIIDRA® GROUNDBREAKING NEW TREATMENT

Lifitegrast ophthalmic solution 5% is a prescription eye drop used to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. In clinical studies, Xiidra was shown to, on average:

  • Provide relief for some patients in as little as 2 weeks

  • Reduce dry eye symptoms after 12 and 6 weeks

  • Reduce the signs of dry eye (the things your doctor can see) by week 12

Lipiflow, i-Lux, IPL & Dry Eye Treaments offered at the clinic

The Lipiflow procedure is a thermal pulsation system, delivering heat at a temperature of 42.5°C to the inner eyelid, while applying pressure to the outer eyelid surfaces simultaneously. The Lipiflow procedure takes approximately 12 minutes long, breaking down and loosening the oil buildup along the inside of the eyelid, called the meibomian glands using gentle warmth and massage. The hardened meibomian lipids that have blocked the meibomian glands are expressed, thus unblocking the meibomian gland ducts and allowing the meibomian glands to properly function and produce the oils that make up the top protective lipid layer of the tear film. Our doctors will conduct a thorough evaluation to see if you are an eligible candidate for this Lipiflow dry eye treatment and we co-manage with the local Calgary ophthalmologists.

Intense Pulse Light (IPL) for Dry Eyes /
Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)

Intense pulse light is another treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). This treatment utilizes pulses of light to break down and release oils that have hardened along the inside of the eyelid, clogging the meibomian gland. In addition, it will reduce eyelid redness as it affects vascularization of eyelids. A disposable eye shield will be placed over the eyes to protect them from the light pulses and then our doctor will manually express the loosened oils from the glands. Our Calgary eye doctors perform Meibography gland images and then we co-manage with the local Calgary ophthalmologists once the IPL treatment has been performed.

Think you may be suffering from dry eye syndrome?

TAKE THE DRY EYE QUESTIONNAIRE
SIMPLE ONLINE DRY EYE TEST
DRY EYE BLINKING EXERCISES
BLEPHARITIS PATIENT HANDOUT
DRY EYE PATIENT HANDOUT

Dry Eye Symptoms in Calgary – What To Do

If you’re experiencing dry eye pain in Calgary, AB, then here are some suggestions as to what you can do to improve your eye health. Our goal at Market Mall Eye Clinic is to provide you with the best treatment options so feel free to reach out to us to learn more.

What is Dry Eye?

Dry Eye Syndrome is a condition where the eyes cannot produce enough tears. It is said that around 30% of people experience this issue. Symptoms of dry eye may vary from patient to patient. However, below is a summarized list of dry eye symptoms in Calgary.

Symptoms of dry eye in Calgary, Alberta:

  1.  Stinging sensation
  2. Burning
  3. Increased Eye Redness
  4. Light sensitivity
  5. Swollen red eyelids
  6. Tearing
  7. Tired eyes
  8. blurred visions

Dry Eye Treatment Options in Calgary – Procedure:

At Market Mall Eye Clinic, our experts conduct an examination of all patients to determine the level and severity of dry eye. Then several measurements are made to determine the tears your eyes produce, the ocular surface, tear osmolarity, as well as a few more including tests to determine damage to the cornea.