Dry Eye Therapy

Our Personalized Approach to Dry Eye

People travel from all over the world to experience the beauty of Palm Springs, but dry eye is a common issue in the California heat. Our practice is here to offer solutions for your symptoms.

Dry eye can be a daily inconvenience. Here at OPT Optometric Palm Springs, we offer dry eye screenings for children and adults to help your family take the first step toward relief. Our diagnostic technology and tailored treatment options aim to identify the root cause of your discomfort and help you leave our practice feeling comfortable and confident.

Book an appointment today, and we can begin designing a plan tailored to your dry eye needs.

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Causes & Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye symptoms occur when we can’t produce enough high-quality tears. This is a common condition with various causes, including age, environment, screen time, or medical conditions.

Symptoms can include:

- Irritation or burning sensations
- Redness
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurry vision
- A gritty feeling in the eyes
- Excessive tearing

The Importance of Your Tear Health

The tear film is a thin, protective layer covering the surface of the eye. It consists of 3 components: water, oil, and mucus. Each layer plays an important role in locking moisture in and keeping irritants out.

Healthy tears keep our eyes comfortable and functional. Without proper tear quality or quantity, dry eye symptoms can occur, causing discomfort when reading, working, being outdoors, or enjoying other daily activities.

Prolonged dry eyes can impact your quality of life, making it important to address your concerns through regular eye exams.

Understanding Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)

MGD is a leading cause of dry eye. It occurs when the meibomian gland, which produces healthy oils for the eye, becomes blocked or doesn’t work properly.

When our tears don’t have a balanced level of oil, they evaporate too quickly, leaving our eyes dry and more exposed to irritants.

At OPT Optometric PS, we offer targeted treatments for MGD to help restore tear health and alleviate the symptoms of dry eye disease. Regular evaluations and personal treatment plans can improve your eye health and quality of life.

Diagnosing Dry Eye

Dry eye disease can be distracting and uncomfortable. Dry eye screenings are an important part of finding relief, as they help evaluate the quality of your tears and your overall tear health.

We have a variety of diagnostic methods that can help us craft a treatment plan that is suited to your specific needs and symptoms.

Dyes & Staining

Here, we apply special dyes to the surface of your eye, giving us a detailed view of any damage or dryness. By adding a small drop of dye to the eye, we can observe how it spreads across the surface, revealing dry spots.

This allows us to detect damage that may not be visible during a standard exam.

Subjective Tear Break-Up Time (TBUT)

A subjective TBUT test measures how long it takes for your tear film to naturally break apart after blinking. A healthy tear film should remain stable between blinks.

If your tears evaporate relatively quickly, your eyes aren’t providing enough moisture, a key sign of dry eyes.

Schirmer’s Test

A Schirmer’s test measures tear production by placing a thin strip of special paper under the eye. The paper absorbs moisture and shows how much fluid the eye is producing.

This helps us determine if you aren’t producing enough tears and understand the specific ways that dry eye is affecting you.

Customized Dry Eye Treatments

At OPT Optometric Palm Springs, we understand that no 2 cases of dry eye are the same. That’s why we’re dedicated to creating personalized treatment plans for your specific needs.

Whether it’s addressing MGD, eyelid hygiene, or environmental factors, we’ll develop a comprehensive care plan to help improve your eye health.

Eyelid Hygiene Treatments

To manage eyelid hygiene, we may use Blephex, an in-office treatment that gently cleans your eyelid and removes irritants. This is helpful in addressing blepharitis, a chronic condition where bacteria and debris build up on the eyelids.

Eyelid sprays may also be useful to reduce inflammation and bacteria.

Meibomian Gland Management

We offer meibomian gland expression and probing treatments to address MGD. Expression gently presses the glands, releasing blocked oils, while probing carefully clears any obstructions.

We may also recommend eye masks to treat MGD. They provide soothing heat to the eyelids, helping melt blocked oils in the meibomian glands and relieving irritation.

Punctal Plugs

If we observe that your tears are evaporating too quickly, we may recommend punctal plugs. These are rice-sized devices inserted into the tear duct to help retain moisture on the eye.

By helping retain healthy tears, this treatment can relieve dryness and irritation.

Ready for Dry Eye Relief?

Our tailored treatments can help you find long-lasting relief and improved eye comfort. Schedule your appointment today to get started with your dry eye treatment plan.

Request Appointment