Dry Eye

While dry eye isn’t a serious condition, it can have a major impact on your quality of life. You may find your eyes get tired faster or you have difficulty reading. Not to mention the discomfort of a burning sensation or blurry vision. Let’s take a look at dry eye treatments – from simple self-care to innovative prescriptions and therapies – to help you see clearly and comfortably.

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What is Dry Eye?​​​​​​​

Understanding dry eye will help you determine the best treatment option. Dry eye occurs when a person doesn't have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears reduce eye infections, wash away foreign matter, and keep the eye’s surface smooth and clear. People with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears or their tears are of poor quality. It’s a common and often chronic problem, especially in older adults.

Preventive Self-Care

Before we delve into more serious dry eye treatment options, here are a few simple self-care options that can manage minor cases of dry eye.

  • Blink regularly when reading or staring at a computer screen for a long time.

  • Make sure there’s adequate humidity in the air at work and at home.

  • Wear sunglasses outside to reduce sun and wind exposure. Wraparound glasses are the best.

  • Take supplements with essential fatty acids; these may decrease dry eye symptoms.

    We recommend Tear Support Plus. Take 4 pills per day once per day to treat and prevent dryness due to meibomian gland or lipid deficiency. Order Here. Shipping is free. If you need to register, please contact us at (310) 452-1039 or info@opoptometry.com.​​​​​​​

  • Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day to avoid dehydration.

  • Find out if any of your prescriptions have dry eye as a side effect. See if you can take an alternative.



Artificial Tears

For mild cases of dry eyes, the best option is over-the-counter eye drops. Here are a few tips for selecting the right one:

  • Low viscosity – These artificial tears are watery. They often provide quick relief with little or no blurring of your vision. But their effect can be brief, and sometimes you must use these drops frequently to get adequate relief.

  • High viscosity – These are more gel-like and provide longer-lasting lubrication. However, these drops can cause significant blurring of your vision for several minutes. For this reason, high-viscosity artificial tears are recommended at bedtime.

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LipiFlow Procedure

Here are Ocean Park Optometry, we utilize the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation technology. This treatment helps to unblock oil glands. Placed over your eye, the device delivers a gentle, warm massage to the lower eyelid over about 15 minutes.
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Dry Eye Spa IPL Procedure

We also utilize the Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology. This treatment helps to significantly reduce inflammation of the skin and meibomian glands to rejuvenate and improve their function. Over four treatment sessions, the glands are gradually brought back to better functioning to provide the protective tear and oil layer that your eye craves. Experience the soothing relief of this spa treatment today.

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If you're interested in learning more or if you'd like to schedule an appointment, contact us today! We'd love to help!

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