Dry eye disease is a widespread and common issue for up to 49 million Americans. This chronic condition can have a significant impact on your quality of life, causing a foreign body sensation in your eyes, pain, blurry vision, and dry or watery eyes. Untreated, it can even lead to further eye-health complications.
Despite these constant detrimental effects on quality of life, many dry eye sufferers are not aware that they’re suffering from dry eye disease or that real treatments exist. Instead, they just live with the discomfort.
Although dry eyes may not be a new problem people experience, it can be exacerbated by modern behaviors, like the increased time we spend on digital devices.
As a result, the doctors at Clear Lake Eye Center commit to providing modern solutions, like OptiLight, to benefit the comfort of your eyes and the clarity of your vision.
There are several modern technologies that help determine if OptiLight is the best solution for your eyes:
- The LipiScan identifies how well the glands in your eyes are working.
- The phenol red thread test measures the volume of tears in your eyes.
- Corneal staining with fluorescein is used to see how well tears move across your eye’s surface.
- Lissamine green stain is used to determine if there is damage to the surface of your eye.
- The Dry Eye Evaluator sees how well your meibomian glands function,
- Our Speed II Questionnaire before and after treatment determines how well the treatment is working.
- A tear breakup time (TBUT) test evaluates how quickly your tears evaporate.
We’re proud to offer OptiLight by Lumenis to our patients, specially designed for dry eye management.
What Is OptiLight by Lumenis?
OptiLight by Lumenis is a light-based, non-invasive treatment done in the area below the eyes to manage dry eye. The first and only IPL FDA-approved for dry eye management.
The treatment is safe, gentle, and is backed by more than 20 clinical studies.
How Does It Work?
OptiLight uses precise pulses of light to reduce the inflammation that is typically associated with dry eye disease, improve tear break-up time, and increase meibomian gland functionality.
This application can significantly relieve dry eye indicators and has a multi-factorial effect, including:
- Increasing tear break-up time
- Reducing the amount of demodex mites and bacteria living around your eyes
- Eliminating blood vessels that contribute to inflammation, like ocular rosacea
- Improving meibomian gland functionality
What to Expect
Before Your Treatment
Before we determine if OptiLight is your best solution to dry eyes, we will perform some tests during an initial appointment.
First, you will complete our Speed II Questionnaire and have your eyes evaluated by an optometric technician. Then, you will have a complete dry eye assessment that will be performed by your optometrist.
Before starting the IPL treatment, we will make sure you understand everything there is to know about the entire procedure, including possible side effects and contraindications. We will ask you to self-describe your skin type, and a doctor will review all of your information before starting the OptiLight treatment.
During Your Treatment
This treatment is fast and simple. During the treatment a coupling gel will be applied on the treatment area and your eyes will be covered with shields.
As light is applied to the skin, you may experience a warm sensation. The treatment is gentle with minimum discomfort. The treatment itself will only take 10–15 minutes.
An ideal combination is often to follow OptiLight with meibomian gland expression, like Lipiflow, depending on the doctor’s recommendation.
After Your Treatment
Following your IPL treatment, we recommend that you avoid direct sun exposure. The treatment area around your eyes will likely be sensitive to the sun, and you could be more susceptible to getting a painful sunburn. It is recommended to cover up and wear a large-brimmed hat, and apply at least SPF 30 sunscreen to your eye area for at least a week after each session.
As the skin heals from the IPL treatment, you may notice some dryness and minor peeling. We recommend that you use a thick moisturizing cream in the morning and at night to help your skin heal. You may wear makeup 24–48 hours after the treatment, as long as you apply and remove it gently.
Using a gentle cleanser and warm water twice each day can help minimize your healing time.
However, patients should also avoid skincare products that contain:
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Retin-A
- Retinol
- Glycolic acids
Allow blemishes to heal naturally and flake off. Do not scratch or pick at the skin around your eyes during the healing process.
Avoid strenuous exercising, hot baths, showers, or hot tubs for at least 48 hours. Overheating the skin in the first 24–48 hours may have a negative impact on your results and the healing time.
Part of Your Custom Treatment Plan
A course of treatment typically includes 4 sessions spaced 2–4 weeks apart [depending on the doctor].
Clear Lake Eye offers 3 levels of dry eye treatments. People who experience lower levels of dry eye can benefit from education, lifestyle adjustments, and environmental changes to help their symptoms.
In addition to IPL by Lumenis, Clear Lake Eye also offers LipiFlow dry eye treatments to help reset the glands in the eyes, promote healthy tears, and return the eyes to their optimal function. These treatments also prevent further damage to the glands.
In addition to doing Level 1 treatments, doing both IPL and LipiFlow together has shown to be the best combination of therapies to avoid dependence on long-term prescription drops.
Will the OptiLight by Lumenis Work for Me?
While OptiLight by Lumenis is an effective dry eye management solution, we want to make sure it’s right for you. We do not recommend this treatment if you:
- Suffer from aqueous deficiency dry eye (rather than evaporative dry eye or meibomian gland dysfunction)
- Have a history of keloid scarring
- Have severe scarring around your eyes
Ultimately, your doctor is the only person who can determine whether this option is right for you. During your next appointment, ask us if you are a good candidate for OptiLight by Lumenis.
You Don’t Have to Live With Dry Eye Anymore
Dry, irritated eyes can be managed with a new treatment that brings comfort and can restore quality of life. Visit your eye doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
