What is the best treatment for dry eyes?

The best treatment depends on the underlying cause. Options may include artificial tears, prescription drops, eyelid hygiene, punctal plugs, or advanced in-office therapies. At Lake Eye Associates, dry eye treatment plans are personalized after evaluating tear quality, inflammation, and gland function to address the root problem.

Does dry eye therapy work?

Yes, when properly diagnosed, dry eye therapy can significantly reduce discomfort, redness, and blurred vision. Effective treatment targets inflammation and tear instability rather than only masking symptoms. Lake Eye Associates focuses on identifying the specific cause of dry eye to provide long-term relief and improved ocular comfort.

How to rehydrate a dry eye?

Rehydrating a dry eye may involve lubricating eye drops, warm compresses, hydration, and reducing environmental triggers like screen strain or air conditioning. In some cases, prescription treatments are needed to improve tear production. A thorough evaluation at Lake Eye Associates helps determine the most effective approach for lasting hydration.

Can dry eyes go back to normal?

In many cases, dry eye symptoms can be well-managed, though some patients require ongoing treatment. When caused by temporary factors such as environment or medication changes, symptoms may improve significantly. Lake Eye Associates develops customized treatment plans to restore comfort and stabilize tear production over time.

What is the root cause of dry eyes?

Dry eyes are often caused by poor tear quality, decreased tear production, inflammation, or meibomian gland dysfunction. Environmental factors, aging, hormonal changes, and certain medications can also contribute. Identifying the root cause through a comprehensive evaluation at Lake Eye Associates enables targeted, effective treatment.

Dry Eye Specialist & Treatment in FL

Wash Away Your Eye Irritation & Discomfort

Millions of Americans struggle with dry eye syndrome every single day. No matter the cause, this issue can leave your eyes feeling irritated, gritty, and outright uncomfortable. You deserve solutions that bring you relief—you deserve the team at Lake Eye Associates.

Using in-depth diagnostic strategies and a range of treatment options, a dry eye ophthalmologist can help improve your quality of life by getting to the source of your dry eye issues. Our approach isn’t just comprehensive; it’s completely catered to your needs.

Find comfort and clarity with a dry eye specialist today.

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Why Do Your Eyes Feel Dry?

Dry eyes occur due to the imbalance of essential layers that make up your tear film. Your tear film is responsible for keeping your eyes hydrated and comfortable, but several different issues can affect the quality of your tear film and its layers, leading to dry eye symptoms.

These layers include:

The mucus layer, which adheres the tear film even to your eyes
The water layer, which hydrates your eyes
The oil layer, which seals in the tear film and prevents it from evaporating

Determining which layers are affected can help diagnose what type of dry eye you have and what treatments suit you best.

Close-up of patient receiving eye drops during eye care treatment

Diagnosing Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome can be split into 2 different types: evaporative dry eye and aqueous tear deficiency.

The former affects the oil layer of your tear film, causing the tear film to evaporate too quickly. The latter affects the water content of your tear film, preventing your eyes from feeling hydrated.

We perform a variety of different tests to determine the type of dry eye you have. With this information, we can start treating your eyes with solutions appropriate for your needs.

Questionnaire

One of the first steps we take is asking you a series of questions regarding your symptoms. These questions can help us decide which tests will be best for diagnosing what is causing your dry eye symptoms.

Schirmer’s Test

A Schirmer’s test assesses your tear production to ensure you have enough tears to keep your eyes feeling comfortable and hydrated. We determine this by gently placing a strip of filter paper inside the lower eyelid and testing the moisture it collects.

LipiScan

LipiScan is a unique technology that helps analyze the health of your meibomian glands and look for issues related to meibomian gland dysfunction—a leading cause of dry eye across the country.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Leading Cause of Dry Eye

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is one of the most common causes of dry eye in the country. MGD is so common that recent research shows that it’s responsible for 86% of all dry eye cases.

Your meibomian glands are located around the edges of your eyelids, and they’re responsible for producing the oil content your eyes need to seal in your tear film and keep it from evaporating. When MGD develops, it blocks these glands and prevents them from supporting your tear film. As a result, your tear film evaporates faster than normal, leading to dry eye symptoms.

Aging, certain medications, and health conditions like Sjogren’s syndrome can increase the risk of developing MGD.

Symptoms

When your tear film evaporates too quickly, you may develop:

Redness
Itchiness
Wateriness
Light sensitivity
Blurry vision

What Is Blepharitis?

A common issue you may experience is blepharitis, otherwise known as chronic inflammation of your eyelid. This condition shares several symptoms with MGD, but it can also increase the risk of developing:

Styes
Skin flakiness
Conjunctivitis
Chalazion
Corneal injuries

Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops

What are platelet-rich plasma drops? Platelet-rich plasma drops (PRP) are used for severe dry eye, ocular surface, and corneal diseases. They require a special formulation with your own blood components. Platelet drops are helpful for severe dry eye because they contain several healing growth factors that support tissue recovery.

Who will benefit from PRP drops?

Your physician will determine if PRP drops may be helpful for you. Patients with severe dry eye, ocular surface and corneal diseases will benefit.

How much blood is drawn?

Around 20 milliliters of blood is drawn. Since you are not giving much blood, you should feel fine afterward.

How do I prepare for my blood draw?

You do not need to fast in preparation for the draw. Please drink plenty of water starting 24 hours before your blood draw. Good hydration is helpful. Avoid any NSAID (Aspirin, Motrin, Aleve) on the day of your appointment.

Are the drops covered by insurance?

No, the drops are not covered by insurance. The drops provided should last you 2-3 months. Ask your provider about pricing.

How do I use the drops?

Instructions may vary by patient. The common regimen is one drop in the affected eye 4x/day until told to stop.

How are the drops stored?

One bottle of drops should be kept cold in the refrigerator at a time, while the remaining bottles should be kept in the freezer until needed. A bottle can be kept in the fridge for up to 5-7 days and should be discarded after that. Drops can be frozen for three months.

Because these drops are made from biological material and are preservative-free, they could support bacterial growth. It is recommended that you carry drops in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs if you will be out for more than an hour or in hot weather.

How to Find Relief

Before looking for solutions on your own, please speak with our team. By thoroughly examining your eyes and determining what may be causing your symptoms, we can develop a strategy to help your eyes feel hydrated and comfortable.

Some of our treatments can help alleviate symptoms in just a few minutes. Take a look at a few of our options by clicking each title.

Oasis Rest & Relief Warm Compresses

Oasis Rest & Relief warm compresses are an effective and easy-to-use way to manage your dry eye symptoms.

Warm compresses are heated face masks that help melt away and soothe blockages causing meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis symptoms.

Eye Drops

We can offer several types of eye drops to help alleviate dry eye symptoms.

Depending on what is causing your symptoms, we can prescribe medical eye drops like Restasis and Xiidra. We can also recommend Oasis cleansers and nighttime moisturizers.

LipiFlow

LipiFlow thermal pulsation and massaging technology is a common treatment we use for alleviating meibomian gland dysfunction symptoms.

The treatment gently heats and massages the inner and outer areas of your eyelids to help melt and clear away obstructions blocking your meibomian glands.

BlephEx

BlephEx is a unique treatment we use to clean away dirt and bacteria building up on the edges of your eyelids. By clearing away these problems, we can help soothe and prevent symptoms of blepharitis.

Get Back to Enjoying Your Eye Comfort

Seeing your best is also feeling your best. If you’re struggling with dry eye symptoms, please get in touch with our team today.

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We are a proud partner of US Eye, a leading group of patient-centric, vertically integrated multi-specialty physician practices providing patients with care in ophthalmology, optometry, dermatology and cosmetic facial surgery.

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