Dry Eye Treatments

Meibomian gland expression  |  BlephEx™  |  IPL Treatment  |  Punctal Plugs  |  Video FAQs

 

Dry eyes occur when your eyes don’t have the right level of moisture needed to keep them protected. Learn more about dry eye symptoms and causes.

Dry eye treatment is necessary to avoid infection of the eyes and damage to the eye’s surface.

The dry eye treatment options offered at Oculase include IPL treatment, meibomian gland expression, BlephEx and punctal plugs.

Meibomian gland expression

Meibomian glands release oil onto the surface of the eye. This oil slows the evaporation of the tears that keep your eyes moist. 

One of the common causes of dry eye is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). With MGD, the glands do not release enough oil or the oil isn’t of a good enough quality. 

Symptoms of MGD include itching, sticky eyes, watering of the eyes and light sensitivity.

Placing a towel, soaked in warm water, over your eyes can help stimulate oil production and melt any oil that has clogged your glands. Commercially available eyebags, which are placed over your eyes, after heating in a microwave work in a similar fashion.

Meibomian gland expression is also used to relieve clogged meibomian glands.

This treatment method involves special goggles to warm the eyelid glands. Your eye care specialist will then put pressure on your eyelids to squeeze the oil from the glands.

BlephEx

BlephEx is a cleaning process for your eyelashes and eyelids. It is commonly used to treat blepharitis, an eye condition that causes the oil glands in your eyelids to become swollen. Other symptoms of blepharitis include red or itchy eyes, sore eyes and blurred vision.

BlephEx removes bacteria, crusting and debris on your eyelashes and eyelids with a medical-grade sponge.

This treatment method is usually recommended every four to six months. 

IPL Treatment

Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment uses visible light and infrared to treat clogged meibomian glands. These glands can become clogged by hardened oils in your eye. 

This treatment can also reduce inflammation surrounding your eye, further improving your dry eye symptoms.

People usually need a few sessions to get the most from this treatment. 

Meibomian gland expression often follows IPL.

Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs are temporary or permanent plugs used to block your tear ducts. They prevent your tears from draining down your tear ducts.

Punctal plugs are small and usually made with silicone. They allow your eyes to keep their tears for longer before they evaporate.

This procedure helps your eyes stay moist for longer, combatting the symptoms of dry eye.

Book an appointment

Our eye surgeon, Mr Ayoub, will do a comprehensive assessment of your eyes, to determine what is causing your dry eye symptoms

He will then talk you through each option’s risks and benefits, so you can decide together which treatment option is best for you.

Book an appointment today and prioritise your eye health.

0330 128 1616

Our clinic sites are regulated by
The Care Quality Commission (CQC)

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