With today’s society relying on internet, smart phones, and tablets for work or social media, most Americans also suffer from dry eyes.

Dry eye syndrome (DES) also called dry eye or keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) affects more than 23 million Americans and that number is rapidly growing. We are learning now that the complex nature of dry eye can begin as young as 10 or 11 years old and continues throughout a patient’s life. Because dry eye symptoms can be very subtle, patients can go under diagnosed.

Bowden Eye & Associates is proud to introduce the first of its kind in dry eye technology and the only FDA approved diagnostic & treatment system for Dry Eye Syndrome – The LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System.

We are the first ophthalmology practice in the North Florida region to offer the LipiFlow system treatment to our patients.

There are two predominant forms of dry eyes, aqueous and evaporative.

Evaporative dry eye or inadequate amount of tears affects 65% of dry eye patients and is caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) or blocked glands that create a deficiency in the oil layer of the tear film. This can be the beginning of other dry eye disease problems including damage to the cornea and sight-related issues.

Aqueous dry eye or poor quality of tears are comprised of three layers; lipid (oil), water, and mucus. The composition of these components is what helps to protect and nourish the surface of our eyes. The lipid or oil layer prevents the evaporation of the water layer. The mucus layer helps spread the tears evenly over the eye surface. When these layers are not functioning properly, the tears can either evaporate too rapidly or they do not reach the entire eye surface which will then cause the symptoms of dry eyes.

Symptoms of dry eyes include:

• dryness
• excessive tearing
• discomfort and irritation
• sensitivity to light
• grittiness
• discharge
• feeling of foreign body
• tiredness
• burning or stinging sensation
• itching
• vision disturbance
• redness

Treatment:

Bowden Eye & Associates is proud to introduce the first of its kind in dry eye technology and the only FDA approved diagnostic & treatment system for Dry Eye Syndrome secondary to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction- LipiView and LipiFlow. This unique system combines visual imaging to diagnosis a patient’s dry eye syndrome as well as a treatment which applies painless heat and compression to unclog the meibomian glands.

Until the development of LipiView, your ophthalmologist did not have a way to visually show that patients were lipid deficient. LipiView is the digital imaging component that allows your ophthalmologist to measure the lipid layer of your tear film. Then they will be able to evaluate what therapy would be best. The LipiView only takes a few minutes to evaluate your eyes. You will simply look into a camera and blink normally. A special light, camera and computer program do everything else.

If you are diagnosed with Dry Eye Syndrome secondary to meibomian gland dysfunction, you can then undergo a 12 minute LipiFlow treatment. This uses a single-use eyepiece to relieve blockage of all the meibomian glands, both upper and lower. The treatment, which applies painless heat and compression to unclog the meibomian glands, has been compared to an eyelid twitch or gentle pulsation.

After a treatment, the glands become unclogged and in two to six weeks patients can potentially have a noticeable difference in their dry eye symptoms. Relief is occurring because the natural production of lipids needed for your tear film resumes functioning normally. No longer will patients have their lives revolve around eye drops.

If you only dream that you could go for long periods without thinking about your eyes at all or no longer having to plan your day around your symptoms, make your dreams a reality and schedule your LipiView and LipiFlow appointment today.

Before your LipiView appointment, we request the following:

• Do not wear contact lenses 24 hours prior to any visit
• Do not use artificial tears for 24 hours prior to any visit
• Do not use any ointments for 24 hours prior to any visit
• Refrain from Restasis for 24 hours prior to any visit
• Remove makeup thoroughly before any visit (mineral oil works best)