for dry irritated eyes Find relief

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The hours you spend each day staring at a computer screen or checking your smartphone can take a toll on your eyes. You may not only be straining your eye muscles but also compromising the tears that protect your eye.

“When we’re paying attention to something like a computer screen, we end up staring and not blinking, or not blinking completely,” said Dr. Anne Keating, an Essentia Health ophthalmologist. “That can lead to dry, irritated eyes.”

“To properly lubricate your eyes, you need to close your eyelids completely when you blink,” explained Dr. Keating. That action stimulates tiny Meibomian glands inside your eyelids to add a layer of lipids, or oils, to the tear film that protects your eyes. The top layer of lipids prevents the watery layer below from evaporating too quickly.

According to Dr. Keating, dry, burning, red or irritated eyes can be caused by many factors so it’s important to get your eyes examined. One of the most common diagnoses is evaporative dry eye, which is caused by blocked Meibomian glands.

People with evaporative dry eye can treat their symptoms with artificial tears, prescription eye drops, warm compresses, and a new treatment option called LipiFlow.

“LipiFlow is a scientific approach to unplugging the Meibomian glands and improving their function,” said Dr. Keating. “The advantage of LipiFlow is that it treats the underlying problem, not just the symptoms.”

LipiFlow applies heat and gentle pressure inside the eyelids to push out the lipids and unplug the glands. “The special eyepieces heat the glands from inside the eyelid, which you can’t do at home with warm compresses,” the ophthalmologist explained.

To get a proper diagnosis, Dr. Keating does a thorough eye exam and then assesses a patient’s tear film. Next, a computer program analyzes how often and how completely a patient blinks since poor or partial blinking can contribute to dry eye.

A LipiFlow treatment takes 12 minutes in the doctor’s office. The lightweight devices sit on the eyelids and heat them to a precise temperature that liquefies the lipids. Then gentle repetitive compressions push the lipids out and unplug the glands.

The treatment also stimulates the glands so they work better, the ophthalmologist said. “It’s like a spa treatment for your eyes,” Dr. Keating said. “It feels comfortable, like an eye massage.”

“Patients see results in two to six weeks, depending on the severity of their condition. Many continue to use artificial tears or prescription eye drops but use them less frequently, which saves them money,” Dr. Keating said.

Dry eyes needed to be treated earlier rather than later, Dr. Keating explained, because blocked Meibomian glands will atrophy and stop working. She pointed out that treatment can help save the glands.

Besides discomfort, evaporative dry eye can cause sensitivity to light and blurred vision. “Not only do people feel better after LipiFlow, they also see better,” Dr. Keating said. [AWM]

For more information, or to make an appointment with Dr. Keating at the Essentia Health-South University Clinic, call (701) 364-3378.