Dry Eye Relief

Do you suffer from dry, itchy, or watery eyes? These are some signs of a chronic eye condition called dry eye syndrome. At Georgia Center for Sight, our surgeons are here to treat dry eyes at their root cause and improve your symptoms.

What is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome is a chronic condition that occurs when the eyes do not receive adequate lubrication or hydration. Dry eye syndrome usually occurs because the tears produced are low quality, or there are not enough tears being created.

To have healthy tears, you must first have a healthy tear film. The tear film has three components: a water layer, a mucus layer, and an oil layer.

If any of these components are missing, the tears your eyes create will not be able to provide adequate nutrients to your eyes through your tears. The tear film must cover the eye’s surface to deliver nutrients.

What are the Signs of Having Dry Eyes?

Many signs come with having dry eyes, and you may not experience them all; you may only have one or two. Common symptoms of having dry eyes include:

If you start experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s essential to let your eye doctor know as soon as possible. When left untreated, dry eye can cause serious discomfort or corneal abrasions.

Treating Dry Eyes at Georgia Center for Sight

At Georgia Center for Sight, our surgeons take dry eyes seriously. How he chooses to treat your dry eyes will depend on the root cause of the dryness and the severity of your symptoms. He may decide to treat your dry eyes with the following treatments:

Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs are small, microscopic drains placed in your tear ducts. They dissolve over time, allowing you to decide whether to proceed with permanent punctal plugs. Many patients find that the temporary form of punctal plugs helps improve their symptoms.

Permanent punctal plugs are then inserted into the tear ducts, which help keep tears on the surface of your eye for longer before evaporating. Many patients experience significant relief with this treatment, allowing them to reduce their use of artificial tears and eye drops. 

Having permanent or temporary punctal plugs inserted in your tear ducts is an in-office procedure performed by our surgeons. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and you’ll receive an anesthetic eye drop to numb your eye for the utmost comfort during the brief procedure. 

Most patients describe punctal plug insertion as painless and can return to their daily activities and routine once it’s complete.

LipiFlow

Another method of treating dry eyes available at Georgia Center for Sight is LipiFlow. LipiFlow is a therapy that treats dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). 

MGD occurs when the meibomian glands in the oily layer of the tear film become blocked. When this happens, it makes tears evaporate too quickly from the eyes, leading to dry eyes. 

LipiFlow helps unblock the clogged meibomian glands using gentle heat and massage to secrete oil from the glands. Each LipiFlow treatment only takes twelve minutes, and most patients start experiencing improved symptoms after their first session. 

Patients may require more than one treatment for the most effective results.

Are you struggling with dry eyes? Get the relief you need by scheduling an appointment at Georgia Center for Sight in Athens, GA, today!