Dry Eye Clinic
At last there is a clinic especially created for people with Dry Eye Disease, with the latest technology to diagnose and treat your condition.Welcome to the Benjamin Opticians Dry Eye Clinic
With so many people suffering with dry eye we have created a new clinic which will diagnose your condition to work out what the best course of treatment will be, including the latest IPL technology. We have invested in the latest equipment to assess and treat you… and it’s all within our brand new Dry Eye Suite at the practice.
Dry Eye Disease
1 in 5 of us suffer from this disease. Dry Eye is a condition that can be caused by a number of factors and is now more prolific due to extended screen use and modern lifestyle.
Dry Eye is caused by many things
Intense work at computers and digital devices
Pollution, diet and the general aging process
Dry indoor air, including air conditioning
Hormone imbalances Pharmaceutical drugs
Contact lenses
Hormone imbalances and use of pharmaceutical drugs
Treatment Programme
At your initial Dry Eye assessment we will ask you questions about your health, lifestyle and how your eyes are feeling. We will perform a number of tests to physically assess the condition of your eyes. From this we can work out a treatment programme for you. This may involve lifestyle changes, drops, heat and massage or our new IPL light therapy, in the comfort of our new Dry Eye suite. We may recommend using an eye mask at home or our new Eye Wand. Or punctum plugs to help increase tear volume.
Everyone is different and we will create a programme that is right for you and provide the best results for long-term comfort and vision.
Tim – our Dry Eye expert
“Dry Eye can be caused by many factors including our lifestyle, health and age – like many conditions, it affects us more as we get older and is particularly common in women post-menopause, contact lens wearers and you’re even more susceptible to dry eye after laser surgery. Our new suite of equipment allows us to assess your condition in depth using IDRA – our multifunctional Dry Eye test and measurement device.
We can then determine the best course of treatment for you. Most patients suffer from Evaporative Dry Eye and can benefit from Tearstim – our revolutionary IPL therapy which uses pulses of light to reinvigorate the Meibomian glands into producing lipids- the oily film that coats your tears. The Activa heat and massage mask and some manual treatments will all help in this case. if you suffer from Aqueous Defficient Dry (the other type) there are other treatments we can recommend.”
Tim talks more about Dry Eye Disease on our special Ask The Expert page.
Dry Eye Analysis
IDRA – comprehensive results
Our IDRA device will diagnose dry eyes and discover the right treatment. It goes through a series of tests including the lipid layer, tear meniscus, blood vessels and then analyses the results
The IDRA device provides us with an exceptionally detailed overview of your eye health and tear film composition. It can aid in the diagnosis of the type and severity of the dry eye disease and will recommend a suggested treatment protocol for the individual eye.
Tearstim IPL
TearStim can provide a long-lasting solution for Dry Eye Disease, ensuring the meibomian glands function properly. This can help to remedy the cause of dry eyes and relieve any eye pain or uncomfortable vision. Previous treatment for dry eyes has only temporarily alleviated the symptoms, whereas TearStim can help the root of the problem.
TearStim is a device based on intense regulated pulsed light technology (IRPL) – a defined version of IPL. The device emits painless light pulses below the eye, stimulating the nerve to release neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters stimulate the secretion of the meibomian glands, contributing to restoring regular activity. The treatment provided by TearStim can improve the quality of the gland secretion, along with stabilising the lipid layer of the tear film.
What happens when you have IPL?
A revolutionary therapy
The treatment only takes a few minutes, relaxed in our comfortable reclining chair, the optician simply covers your eyes with protector shells and applies a special gel.
A series of 8-10 light pulses are then aimed at the region below the eyes, before being repeated in the same way on the other eye.
The treatment needs only 4 sessions to make a difference
The effects can last from 6 months up to 3 years. It’s recommended that you have an annual booster session in the form of a single treatment and you may still need some ongoing management at home.
Dry, red or watery eyes can soon be a thing of the past, even from the first application of the TearStim treatment.
ACTIVA Heat and Massage
The mask provides fast and long-lasting relief from eyelid discomfort. It Produces controlled heat around 42 degrees for 15 minutes and applies a micro-vibration-based massage to increase relief.
It helps by unclogging the debris of the meibomian glands on the edge of the eyelids and softening the secretions. Relieves swollen and irritated eyelids due to blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction, styes and chalazion.
We recommend ACTIVA after TearStim IPL, or in milder cases on its own. As an individual treatment, we suggest using Activa once a week for four weeks. At the end of this first period, a session every two months is recommended to keep the benefits of the relief.
Stressed eyes from heavy digital screen use will become fitter and you feel great too!
Types of Dry Eye
There are two types of Dry Eye – evaporative and aqueous deficient. You may have either or a combination of the two types. The right course of treatment is important to combat the condition and your optician will guide you accordingly.
At Benjamin Opticians we now have a comprehensive assessment using the latest technology to identify and assess your condition and then provide the right course of treatment specifically for you.
TearStim
How it works
A typical appointment
What happens at our Dry Eye Clinic?
Let’s assume you have had your initial Dry Eye assessment and are coming in for your prescribed treatment for severe Dry Eye Disease.
We will start by asking some questions as to how your eyes feel today. We may then cleanse your eye lids to remove any debris – this is called debridement.
Next, your course of prescribed IPL treatment followed by a relaxing 15 minutes lying back enjoying the ACTIVA heat and massage mask. We will then have a look at the eyelids and express the glands to clear away any remaining excess oils.
Finally, we’ll pop in a couple of soothing eye drops and put some sunscreen on the areas which have been treated by the Tearstim.
Dry Eye Disease
Call our team today and book an initial assessment to find out the best treatment programme to help you take away the pain and discomfort of Dry Eye Disease.