Doctor’s say dry eye is one of the prevalent conditions they see in their practice. During the pandemic we have all be working from home and interacting with family and friends via digital media which means we have been starring at monitors, laptops, iPads on average six or more hours a day. When we are staring at a monitor we don’t blink as much, or we don’t blink fully. It is called a partial blink. These two issues contribute to dry eye disease. Dr. Cynthia Matossian, ophthalmologist says while there are some great medications and treatments available, many focus on tear deficiency issues, but most cases dry eye symptoms are caused by something else. Dr. Matossian says the majority of patients experiencing dry eye symptoms have blocked or occluded meibomian glands which is a condition commonly known as meibomian gland dysfunction or MGD for short. Therefore, the oil that they produce can’t get out properly to lubricate and hydrate the surface of the eye. Doctor Mattossian says that for the 86% of dry eye patients who do have MGD, there are treatments that can help. The TearScience LipiFlow procedure has been shown to increase gland secretion three-fold on average, with one single treatment and most patients experience reduced dry eye symptoms by more than 50%. It is an easy in-office procedure that takes 12 minutes. It is the only treatment that utilizes heat and therapeutic massage to remove blockages in the meibomian glands. The TearScience LipiFlow treatment is provided in more than 1,000 locations in the United States and Canada right now. Other things you should do on a regular basis to keep your eyes in check is make sure you are blinking correctly. The new blink break app helps you practice good blinking habits. You can download it for free in the app store. Also make sure to visit your eye doctor once a year for regular eye check-ups.
For more information about dry eye or to find a doctor near you visit dryeyeandmgd.com
