What is it
Dry eye
Dry Eye Syndrome is a pathology that affects the cornea and conjunctiva due to the lack of tears or poor quality of tears, which prevents the correct protection of the ocular surface.
Advancing age, hormonal changes or excessive time in front of screens are some of the causes that lead to its appearance. Its prevalence increases with age and is more frequent in women.
Some of the factors that can lead to its appearance are:
- Less discharge of tears as a result of age.
- Hormonal changes in women.
- Wearing contact lenses.
- Consumption of certain medications such as antihistamines or anxiolytics.
- Other eye conditions such as conjunctivitis or viral keratitis.
- Continuous exposure to electronic devices, which reduces the number of blinks per minute and prevents proper lubrication of the eye
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The symptoms can be very bothersome for patients, interfering with their daily activities. These symptoms vary, although the most frequent are irritation and stinging, redness, a foreign body sensation or “grit”, blurred vision, etc.
Dry eye can lead to more serious problems such as keratitis or corneal ulcers.
Treatment
Dry eye disease has no cure, but it must be controlled in order to recover tear film homeostasis.
There are different options for this, depending on the cause and severity of dry eye:
- The control of the habits that cause it.
- The use of artificial tears (currently, about 20% of the population uses them regularly).
- Maintain adequate eyelid hygiene (of the eyelids) with water and a neutral soap.
- Occlusion of tear ducts.
- Topical treatments such as autologous serum (biological preparation from blood for the treatment of pathologies that affect the ocular epithelium) or Plasma Rich in Growth Factor eye drops.
- Anti-inflammatory therapy.
- Blepharocleansing Exfoliating.
- Jett Plasma Laser.
- Pulsed light treatment (Eye-Light® technology).
- Surgical strategies.
The specialist will be the one who determines the most appropriate treatment in each particular case.
In recent years, a step further has been taken to combat this pathology, which is sometimes associated with blepharitis, through specific treatments such as Exfoliating Blepharocleaning.
This treatment consists of performing a circular massage around the eyelids and eyelashes using a micro-sponge with medication to remove excess bacterial residues, scab and dirt that has accumulated in the area.
This technique is fast, painless and only requires the application of a drop of anesthesia in each eye before starting the treatment for greater patient comfort. Its effects against blepharitis are immediate and, in the medium term, they also reduce the discomfort of dry eye, as the normal production of tears is resumed. In addition, it helps to keep this chronic disease under control and avoid possible complications, greatly improving the patient’s quality of life.
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Personalized Dry Eye Treatment
Plasma Rich in Growth Factor eye drops improve the ocular surface and reduce the symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome. The production of this personalized eye drop containing the antibodies of each patient is carried out using Endoret ® technology. It is a biomedical technology aimed at stimulating tissue regeneration through the application of growth factors.
It should be remembered that tears are an organic substance that plays an essential role in the maintenance of healthy corneal epithelium, because it contains a component that stimulates tissue regeneration (of tissues) known as “growth factors”. The fact that the concentration of this component in the blood is much higher than that found in natural tears contributes to its effectiveness in the treatment of this common disease. This circumstance guarantees its biocompatibility and makes it the liquid most similar to natural tears.
The preparation of this eye drop is based on separating the plasma rich in growth factors from the blood sample taken from the patient.
Jett Plasma Laser Treatment
At Oftalmedic Salvà we offer our patients the most innovative solution to treat Dry Eye secondary to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: the Jett Plasma Laser.
The Jett Plasma equipment is applied directly to the Meibomian Glands, without discomfort for the patient, in a quick treatment in the office. In addition, different results can be obtained through this process:
- Stimulation of collagen production.
- Increased tissue vascularization.
- Improved cell metabolism.
- Improved microcirculation.
- Reduction of tissue inflammation.
Thanks to Jett Plasma, the person with Dry Eye notices improvement from the first session, and a treatment of only four sessions is recommended. For this reason, it is consolidated as a long-term solution that greatly improves the patient’s quality of life.
Pulsed light treatment
When Dry Eye is associated with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, another option for the patient is treatment with pulsed light (Eye-Light® technology).
This system uses a custom-made LED light to gently warm the eyelids, causing the Meibomian glands to unclog and release lipids, providing immediate relief to the patient and effectively controlling Dry Eye disease.
Pulsed light treatment has several benefits for the patient:
- It is fast, lasting 15 minutes.
- It is painless.
- Provides immediate relief.
- It’s safe.
- It allows you to return to your usual activity right away.
To manage Dry Eye disease in the long term, only a few sessions (1 to 4, depending on severity) are needed at different intervals (5 to 10 days), finally achieving an optimal result.
Prevention of Dry Eye
To prevent the appearance of this eye condition, it is advisable to avoid very dry, closed or smoky environments, rubbing the eyes, as well as excessive intake of fried foods and red meat. On the contrary, it is advisable to frequently use artificial tears, maintain good eye hygiene, protect yourself from solar radiation with approved sunglasses and follow a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Early detection and treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome are essential for the control and prevention of eye damage. Therefore, in the event of any discomfort or symptom it is very important to go to the ophthalmologist immediately.
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