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Dry Eye

Are Your Suffering From Dry Eyes?

Bowden Eye & Associates works with our patients from the diagnoses to the final treatments with an individual approach. Dry eye can be a nuisance and can bother your day to day life, schedule your appointment with us today by scheduling online or calling our office at (904) 296-0098!

Bowden Eye & Associates is proud to be Jacksonville’s leading Dry Eye Clinic. Our Physicians travel the country to train and educate other eye care physicians on the latest advancements in diagnosing and treating Dry Eye Disease. By doing this, we are able to test all the available options out there and provide only the best to our patients to help achieve their best possible outcomes.

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Dry Eye

What is Dry Eye Disease?

Dry eye syndrome affects millions of Americans, and symptoms can range from occasional, mild irritation to debilitating and stubborn symptoms. Each time you blink your eye, tears spread across the surface of the cornea. Tears exist to provide lubrication to the eye, reduce the risk of infection, and to wash away foreign matter in the eye. As odd as it is, an increase of tears or an appearance that you are crying, is a symptom of Dry Eyes. If you suspect that you are experiencing dry eye symptoms, or would like to have your glands checked in a complete eye exam, make sure to schedule an appointment with our team of physicians that serve Jacksonville, St. Augustine, St. Johns and the surrounding areas..

Excess tears drain out of the eye through small drainage ducts in the inner corners of the eyelid. Dry eyes occur when tear production and drainage are out of balance. Patients with dry eyes either do not produce good quality tears, or they simply do not produce enough tears. With the increased usage of phones and computers, our eyes are taking a hit.

Our Physicians at Bowden Eye & Associates take it seriously to educate our patients on how they can not only treat their symptoms but also help prevent future damage. Bowden Eye & Associates was the area’s first Dry Eye Center of Excellence in Jacksonville, FL.

How Are We Different?

Eye Magnifying Glass

Diagnosis

Our diagnosis involves looking at allergies and dry eye issues such as gland dysfunction.

 Eye Over a Hand

Focus

One of our main focus points is dry eye.

Eye in a Target

Treatment

Our treatment protocol is advanced and includes the latest technology.

Person and Diploma

Education

Our doctors teach other eye care professionals on dry eye protocol.

Are You Seeking Dry Eye Treatment in Jacksonville?

Don’t Let Dry Eyes Hold Back In Life…
We Are Going to Help See Better and Feel Better!

Take the Dry Eye Self-Test

Diagnosing Dry Eye Syndrome

The TearLab Osmolarity System is intended to measure the osmolarity of human tears to aid in the diagnosis of dry eye disease in patients suspected of having dry eye disease. The TearLab system facilitates the diagnosis, treatment and the management of dry eye. 

Chart Marking the Severity of Osmolarity from Normal to Severe
TearLab Logo

Dry Eye Treatment Options

How exactly is dry eye disease treated? Some patients try to reach for over the counter drops which may offer short term relief, but that is only masking the problem.

Eye Drops

Over-the-counter and prescription drops can provide temporary relief of dry eye symptoms.

Gland Expression

Clearing blockages in the Meibomian glands allows proper function to resume.

Punctal Plugs

Punctal Plugs are inserted into the tear ducts with a goal of holding the tears on the eye.

Hot Compresses

Warm compresses heat the front surface of the eyelids to provide temporary relief.

Eyelid Maintenance Products

Eyelid scrubs remove debris from the eyelashes and the lid margin.

Omega-3 Fish Oils

Omega-3 oils can suppress inflammation or irritation in some dry eye patients.

Treatment Options Explained

Some of these options include LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System as well as Blephex. Some patients will need to use artificial tears to lubricate the eyes and replace the lack of moisture. The various eye drop regimen varies by patient.

Treatments for dry eye disease include:

  • Blephex; which is a deep clean of the eyelid surfaces
  • IPL (Intense Pulsed Light Laser)
  • LipiFlow
  • Prokera
  • Regener-Eyes®
  • Punctal plugs

Prokera is a biologic bandage made from amniotic membrane, which is placenta tissue. The membrane has both anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring properties naturally. The tissue comes from a tissue bank, which is FDA-regulated for safety and quality control.

Prokera is FDA-approved for treating ocular surface disease, which includes the symptoms of Dry Eye Disease. Using Prokera, patients with dry eyes can find faster relief from their dry eye symptoms while promoting more effective corneal healing. By reducing inflammation and scarring, patients will have a healthier cornea while healing the surface of their eye.

BlephEx® is a painless and quick in-office procedure performed by each of our physicians at Bowden Eye & Associates. A handpiece is used to very precisely and carefully spin a medical grade micro-sponge along the edge of your eyelids and lashes, removing scurf and debris and exfoliating your eyelids. The patented micro-sponge is disposable and a new one is used for each individual eyelid so bacteria is not spread between the lids. The eyes are then rinsed well.

The procedure lasts about 6-8 minutes and is well tolerated. At Bowden Eye, we only allow Physicians to complete this procedure. Most patients report a tickling sensation. A numbing drop is usually placed in each eye prior to treatment for increased comfort.

After the procedure, the patient is instructed on how to maintain their clean eyelids with regular nightly lid hygiene. Since home treatments are only semi-effective, the procedure is typically repeated at 4-6 month intervals.

LipiFlow® is a 12-minute procedure offered in our office. It is set up to be a relaxing way to restore your gland function by using a single-use applicator that applies simultaneous heat and pressure to our patients’ eyelids to remove the gland contents and obstructions while reviving the eyes’ natural oil production.

With the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System, our Physicians can warm and release oils that have hardened and clogged the glands responsible for the lubrication in your eyes. Consequently, this treatment addresses the root cause of dry eye rather than simply treating the symptoms of the condition.

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