Soothe Chronic Dry Eye
Do your eyes often feel gritty, scratchy, or tired? You may be experiencing dry eye, a common, chronic condition that affects your tear film. The discomfort that accompanies dry eye can distract you from work and family life, but we can help you find relief.
At Thornhill Vision Care, we offer a variety of energy-based treatments such as IPL, radiotherapy, and low-light therapy, as well as at-home treatments to help soothe your eyes and target the cause of your discomfort.
Don’t just push through your symptoms. Book an appointment to find relief from dry eye today.
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What Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye, also known as ocular surface disease, is a group of conditions that affect the health of your tear film. Without a healthy tear film, your eyes are left feeling scratchy and irritated.
Although dry eye is a common condition, it has a variety of causes. An evaluation by an optometrist can help you diagnose your condition and its cause, allowing you to find a treatment that targets the root cause for long-term relief.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eye occurs when your eyes cannot produce enough tears or produce tears without the proper chemical composition. Regardless of the cause of your dry eye, you may experience symptoms such as stinging or burning, red or watery eyes, stringy mucus from your eyes, a scratchy, gritty sensation, or feeling like there is something in your eye.
Spending long hours on a computer or digital device can also contribute to your dry eye symptoms, aggravating them even more. When we spend time looking at screens, we often blink less and require a greater degree of focus as our eyes are constantly adjusting to small changes on the screen.
While reducing your screen time can help reduce your symptoms, many jobs require hours in front of a computer. If you’re feeling discomfort at work due to dry eye symptoms, come in for a dry eye screening. We can help make your work day more comfortable.
Aqueous-deficient dry eye refers to dry eye caused by insufficient tear production. It is a less common form of dry eye, and may be caused by Sjogren’s Syndrome. Treatments for aqueous-deficient dry eye include artificial tears, specialty contact lenses, and more.
Evaporative dry eye is more common and occurs when the tears produced have an insufficient oil layer. This layer is responsible for preventing premature evaporation, which results in dry eye.
Evaporative dry eye has several causes, such as meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis. There are a variety of treatments for evaporative dry eye, including energy-based treatments, depending on the root cause.
Meibomian gland dysfunction is a common cause of evaporative dry eye. The meibomian glands are tiny, oil-producing glands that line the eyelids. When they become blocked or inflamed, they cannot produce a sufficient oil layer to protect the tear film from evaporating, causing dry eye symptoms.
MGD can be treated with energy-based treatments, meibomian gland expression, supplements, and more.
Blepharitis is a common condition that causes chronic inflammation of the eyelids. Symptoms such as loss of eyelashes, eye redness, light sensitivity, and, of course, dry eye, are associated with blepharitis.
As blepharitis causes inflammation of the eyelids, it can interfere with oil production in the meibomian glands. Blepharitis can be managed with targeted eyelid hygiene treatments such as ZEST and eyelid sprays or cleansers.
How Do We Diagnose Dry Eye
During all adult eye exams, we screen for dry eye. If you’re experiencing dry eye symptoms, we may use a few diagnostic tests to check your tear film and determine the cause.
We use meibography to look at the health of your meibomian glands and check for MGD. We may also look at your tear film to check the tear break-up time. This lets us know if your tears are being spread evenly and effectively across your eye and if they are evaporating too quickly.
If we notice signs of dry eye, we will discuss our findings with you and explain the treatment options available that will help you find relief.
Our Dry Eye Treatments
Our dry eye treatments provide targeted relief based on the root cause of your symptoms. While over-the-counter eye drops may temporarily soothe your eyes, we want to help you find a long-term solution that improves your quality of life.
We offer energy-based treatments such as IPL, low-level light therapy, and radiofrequency performed in-office, as well as meibomian gland expression and ZEST. If your symptoms are less severe or you prefer to try treating your symptoms at home, we also prescribe take-home therapies such as eye masks and eyelid sprays designed for dry eye, medicated eye drops, and supplements to support healthy tear production.
Learn more about our dry eye treatment options.
Our energy-based treatments are especially useful for targeting MGD, one of the most common causes of dry eye. We perform intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, which delivers light energy at specific wavelengths to gently heat the skin, reduce inflammation, and liquefy blockages in the meibomian glands.
We also offer radiofrequency and low-level light therapy, which help target symptoms caused by MGD and provide long-lasting relief from dry eye symptoms.
Typically, energy-based treatments are performed by an ocular hygienist with 4–6 treatments within 8 weeks. After completing the treatment schedule, we recommend infrequent maintenance appointments to maintain your eye health and meibomian gland function. The exact number and timing of treatments will be tailored to you.
Beyond energy-based treatments, we also offer a couple of other dry eye treatments in-office. For patients with MGD, we may perform meibomian gland expression, which involves gently and manually expressing the meibomian glands to remove oil blockages. This may be performed after an energy treatment has softened the oil.
We also offer the Zocular Eyelid System Treatment (ZEST), which targets dry eye caused by blepharitis and demodex. This treatment involves applying a natural, okra-based gel to the eyelid margin for a deep cleaning. After the procedure, the gel is rinsed with saline solution.
At-home treatments can be effective for minor dry eye symptoms or in conjunction with an in-office treatment. Our at-home treatments include prescription eye drops, eyelid hygiene, and supplements. We may prescribe eye drops that are specifically designed to target the root cause of your dry eye, such as inflammation or tear evaporation.
Other at-home treatments include eyelid sprays that target inflammation caused by blepharitis and Demodex. We may also recommend moist, warm eye compresses that help rejuvenate your eyes and improve meibomian gland function.
Finally, we may recommend omega-3 supplements specifically formulated to support healthy tear production. These treatments may be used in combination with one another or in addition to an in-office treatment, depending on the cause of your dry eye and the severity of your symptoms.
Low-Level Light Therapy
We use Celluma low-level light therapy (LLLT) to provide dry eye relief. LLLT targets meibomian gland dysfunction to improve your symptoms and soothe dry eyes.
LLLT uses visible and non-visible wavelengths of light to trigger photoactivation. The light gets absorbed by your body’s cells and stimulates the mitochondria, which increases energy production to enhance various cellular functions. It can help promote healing and reduce inflammation.
During treatment, you will relax below the light with your eyes closed. The treatment will take around 15–30 minutes and is overseen by an ocular hygienist. We’re happy to answer any questions you have before or after your treatment. Most patients need about 4–6 treatments to see lasting improvement in their symptoms.
Radiofrequency Treatment
We use the TempSure Envi Radiofrequency (RF) platform to target MGD and improve your dry eye symptoms.
RF uses energy waves to gently heat the skin to a temperature of 39–40°C. This melts oil blockages in the meibomian glands and helps restore the production of the oil layer of your tear film. RF is often paired with meibomian gland expression to make sure your meibomian glands are clear and restored for proper function.
RF therapy also promotes collagen production, which results in smoother, tighter skin around your eyes. While many patients use RF treatments for dry eye, we also offer medical aesthetics treatments using the TempSure Envi.
Find Relief Today
Whether you have already been diagnosed with dry eye or you are looking for relief from scratchy, gritty eyes, we’re here to help. Our team is ready to assist you with a dry eye screening and consultation to build your dedicated treatment plan.
Find relief for your eyes today. Schedule your appointment online or contact us for more information.
Request Appointment
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Visit Our Location
We’re located in Wilshire Plaza just off Bathurst Street and New Westminster Drive. There’s plenty of parking available.
Our Address
- 8020 Bathurst St, Unit 4A-2, Building B
- Thornhill, ON L4J 0B8
Contact Information
- Phone: 905-889-2940
- Email: tvc@thornhillvisioncare.ca
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What Our Patients Are Saying
“I have had a wonderful experience with Dr. Yi and her team. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and always make me feel at ease. When I come here for my eye exams and contact lens fittings, I know my eye health is in good hands!”
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“I had such an amazing experience with Dr. Clara Yi. She was extremely helpful and was so kind. All the staff were also very welcoming and helpful. I highly recommend coming to this clinic for any vision needs!”
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Thornhill Vision Care
- 8020 Bathurst St, Unit 4A-2, Building B
- Thornhill, ON L4J 0B8
- Phone: 905-889-2940
- Email: tvc@thornhillvisioncare.ca
