Las Vegas Dry Eye: What You Need to Know
Itchy, scratchy, irritated eyes? You don’t have to just live with it! Come see us. We can help.
Dry eye syndrome can be chronic and persistent. It’s also very common. Especially in Nevada, where the climate is arid.
Las Vegas has the lowest humidity on record in the country, contributing to evaporative dry eye, a condition affecting the Meibomian Glands located in the eyelids. 86% of those diagnosed with dry eye have MGD or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
The good news is that, in most cases, dry eye is very treatable.
At our Advanced Dry Eye Center, Center For Sight offers a variety of treatment options for dry eye – including the revolutionary LipiFlow procedure for lasting relief. After diagnostic testing, we can help you determine which course of treatment is right for you.
LipiFlow® for Lasting Relief
LipiFlow addresses the root cause of the most common form of dry eye
The LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System is revolutionary in the treatment of dry eye. At Center For Sight, we are so excited to be able to offer this amazing breakthrough to our patients. We can treat your dry eye issues in-office conveniently and efficiently, so you can get back to your life quickly.
LipiFlow addresses the underlying cause of evaporative dry eye, which is the most common form of dry eye, by unblocking the meibomian glands that secrete oily lipids.
LipiFlow's Proven Results
In controlled clinical studies of patients who received a single LipiFlow treatment, the average meibomian gland score at 4 weeks increased by 2-3 times over the baseline condition!
LipiFlow is the only electronic device cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of (MGD) Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, which is the primary cause of chronic dry eye. Clinical studies (31 peer reviewed articles) demonstrate LipiFlow’s safety and effectiveness.
It has been determined that the gland blockages that occur because of MGD can be cleared most effectively by gently heating and massaging the inner and outer lid. This is known as thermal pulsation treatment and LipiFlow provides both inner and outer lid therapy.
How LipiFlow Works
LipiFlow uses gentle movement and heat to unclog the glands found on the rim of your eyelid that help keep your tears from evaporating. When they’re free and clear, they’re able to function properly to keep more tears on your eye’s surface, where they belong!
LipiFlow activators are single-use, sterile devices that safely and comfortably deliver automated therapeutic energy to the Meibomian glands, while protecting the delicate structures of your eye.
Quick, Gentle Relief
Think of it as gentle heat and massage…for your eye.
The LipiFlow treatment is non-invasive, performed in-office and takes only about 10 minutes.
Many of our patients report noticeable improvement in just a few days with relief continuing to improve 3-4 weeks following the procedure.
Noticeable improvement with just one treatment
More than
100 MILLION
people worldwide suffer from dry eye
What is Dry Eye?
At ophthalmologists’ offices across the nation, the issue of dry eye is more commonly seen today than ever before. Words like “painful”, “annoying” and “persistent” are frequent descriptors we hear at Center For Sight from patients who come in because of their dry eye concerns.
More than 100 million people worldwide suffer from dry eye.
Why is Dry Eye So Common?
Most experts agree that near work – smartphones, computers, video games – is likely to blame for the marked increase in dry eye symptoms. For work and play, people are more plugged in to screens than ever before.
All of these activities mentioned interfere with the quality and quantity of blinks a person makes. Not enough quality blinks means not enough natural tears, which can lead to dry eye symptoms. But, just because dry eye is common doesn’t mean you have to live with it!
All of these activities mentioned interfere with the quality and quantity of blinks a person makes. Not enough quality blinks means not enough natural tears, which can lead to dry eye symptoms. But, just because dry eye is common doesn’t mean you have to live with it!
Meibomian gland dysfunction – yes, it’s a mouthful but one worth mentioning because it is a root cause of chronic dry eye. For ease, let’s just call it MGD.
Meibomian (“my-BOH-mee-an”) refers to a specific type of gland found in the eyelids.
There are about 25 to 40 meibomian glands in the upper eyelid and 20 to 30 in the lower eyelid. These glands secrete oils onto the surface of the eye, which help keep tears from evaporating too quickly.
MDG is blockage or some other abnormality of the meibomian glands so they don’t secrete enough oil into the tears. As a result tears evaporate too quickly.
MGD is a leading cause of dry eye syndrome.
This is why sometimes people with dry eye often have watery eyes which seems like an oxymoron, but it’s not. It is because the quality of the tears isn’t ideal (and they don’t stay on the eyes long enough), so they’re not lubricating the eyes effectively.
Dry Eye Symptoms
Let’s break it down. Common dry eye symptoms can include:
Burning sensation
Itchy eyes
Aching sensations
Fatigued eyes
Sore eyes
Dryness sensation
Red eyes
Photophobia (light sensitivity)
Blurred vision
Foreign body sensation (feeling like there is something in your eye)
Watery eyes (yes, weird, but true, see MGD section for details)
But since those same symptoms are also commonly associated with allergies and other eye infections, it’s important to see a professional to determine if what you’re experiencing is in fact, chronic dry eye.
Dry Eye Testing at Center For Sight
To determine if your symptoms are caused by chronic dry eye, our Center For Sight dry eye specialists will perform a series of diagnostic tests to evaluate your unique ocular surface condition. This will help us determine the best treatment plan for your unique eyes.
Your personal dry eye assessment may include:
Tear Volume Measurement
Tear Evaporation Rate
Ocular Allergy Antigen Testing
Tear Sampling for Inflammation Markers
Meibomian Gland Imaging
Corneal Topography
Corneal Mapping for Aberrations
Anterior Segment Photography
Optical Coherence Tomography
Testing for Sjogren’s Syndrome
LipiView and LipiScan
LipiView and LipiScan are parts of the LipiFlow system for the treatment of chronic dry eye. They are sophisticated and versatile instruments offering high definition images. They are the first devices of their kind that efficiently and easily capture high-quality images of the meibomian glands along your eyelids. Your Center For Sight doctor will use these tools to determine whether you have Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).
You will be able to see pictures of your own glands with the advanced technology of these instruments. LipiView can also asses your blinking function by analyzing if your blinks are complete. Incomplete blinking results in a poor quality tear film which can make your dry eye symptoms worse.
The tests performed with these instruments will evaluate changes in gland structure; measure the thickness of the oily lipid layer of your tear film and help to determine if you are a partial blinker, a condition that affects the spread of oils over the eye.
How Do We Treat Dry Eye?
There are a variety of treatment options for treating dry eye ranging from eye drops to certain specially designed contacts lenses and more. The severity and root cause of your dry eye will determine which treatment is right for you.
The physicians of Center For Sight recommend LipiFlow for many patients dealing with dry eye. In addition, eye drops, prescriptions medications, blinking exercises, punctal plugs, eyelid scrubs and warm compresses are all recommended to treat dry eye depending upon the severity of the condition.
New Solution for Dry Eye – TrueTear®
TrueTear is a drop-free, drug-free option to temporarily increase natural tear production with user-controllable neurostimulation*.
It sounds a little complicated but it’s actually quite simple.
If you have Dry Eye from inadequate tear production, TrueTear could be right for you. It’s simple to operate and fits right into your daily routine. It’s as easy as brushing your teeth!
TrueTear works by stimulating tear-producing nerves located in your nasal cavity. Gentle pulses of energy send signals to the brain. When this happens, the brain is prompted to send signals to your tear glands, which respond by temporarily making more of your own natural tears.
TrueTear should be used at least twice a day for maximum benefit. Simply ask your Center For Sight Dry Eye specialist if TrueTear is right for you. We offer a variety of treatment options for treating dry eye. The severity and root cause of your Dry Eye will determine which treatment is right for you.
*Neurostimulation = tiny pulses of energy.
Our Advanced Dry Eye Center
Center For Sight is one of the most comprehensive ophthalmology practices in the country, but we have a special knack for effectively diagnosing and treating dry eye.
In fact, we have an Advanced Dry Eye Center dedicated to helping people just like you overcome chronic dry eye.
At Center For Sight, we are dedicated to making your world 20/happy through customized treatment plans designed to treat your dry eye symptoms and ultimately, resolve your dry eye completely.
“People think it’s just normal to have red, itchy, irritated eyes. But just because something is common doesn’t make it normal. You don’t have to live with chronic dry eye. We have solutions.”
Dr. Eva Liang, Board Certified Ophthalmologist and Medical Director of Center For Sight
At our Advanced Dry Eye Center in Las Vegas, we are able to evaluate, image and treat your dry eye symptoms with the latest technology and treatment options available. Come see us.
Why is a Dry Eye Treatment Center Better than just
Seeing my Eye Doctor for my Dry Eye Symptoms?
When you have any kind of medical concern, don’t you want it addressed by a specialist? You wouldn’t see your family practitioner for a heart condition any more than you would see a cardiologist for digestive issues.
While any eye doctor can diagnose dry eye based on your symptoms, not all eye doctors can thoroughly assess the surface of your eye to determine what is really going on and find the root cause.
At Center For Sight, we can. And we do.
Eyes are our everything, so when it comes to treating one of the most common eye conditions out there, we do it with a blend of advanced technology options and highly experienced professionals who know dry eye!
If you have questions, we have answers.
Regardless of the root cause of your dry eye symptoms, Center For Sight wants you to be 20/happy!
To manage dry eye, it is important to stop the progressive loss of the essential glands that help maintain a healthy tear film. Begin the path to relieve dry eye symptoms – call 702.20.HAPPY today or fill out the short form below.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider.
