Dry eye syndrome, a common and very annoying condition, can be due to a variety of causes. One typical reason for dry eyes is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), which leads to a quicker-than-normal evaporation of your tears. Often, the painful symptoms of dry eye then result, such as burning, itching, a gritty sensation and redness. LipiScan offers precise diagnosis of MGD, and LipiFlow provides effective treatment to bring relief from dry eye irritation. Another valuable diagnostic tool is the TearLab Osmolarity Test, which can determine if a patient truly suffers from dry eye, or if the symptoms are caused by a different eye condition. One of the newest dry eye technologies is Lumenis.
What is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)?
Your Meibomian glands are located in your eyelids, where they secrete an oily fluid that enhances your tear film and slows the evaporation of your tears. This allows the tears to keep your cornea well lubricated for smooth and clear vision.
When the meibomian glands are either blocked or don’t function optimally, the lipid (fatty) layer of your tear film isn’t rich enough to maintain lasting moisture on your eyes. In addition to the rapid evaporation of tears, there is also greater friction between the cornea and eyelids. This is what’s behind the resulting symptoms of eye irritation.
Eye care professionals estimate that approximately 86% of patients diagnosed with dry eye symptoms have a poor quality tear film due to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Unfortunately, MGD is chronic and progressive; when left untreated, the symptoms generally worsen.
LipiScan: Precise Diagnosis of MGD
Your eye doctor will perform a thorough clinical exam to diagnose MGD, and the revolutionary LipiScan device upgrades the diagnosis with high definition imaging technology.
LipiScan, from Johnson & Johnson Vision, enables your eye care specialist to view the health of your meibomian glands with optimum accuracy. This diagnostic tool has changed the way medicine diagnoses dry eye syndrome. With efficiency and versatility, LipiScan is a small and lightweight device with a comfortable patient experience. Quick and painless, the procedure takes about one minute to image both lower eyelids.
How does LipiScan work?
Your eye doctor will use LipiScan to assess the structure of your meibomian glands. With dynamic surface illumination and adaptive transillumination technologies, the device creates a fast and intuitive image of your glands. LipiScan generates a multidimensional view that is clear and easy for your doctor to analyze.
With this new equipment, the cause of dry eye can be identified with high accuracy. Consequently, your eye doctor can now prescribe the most appropriate treatment possible to alleviate your painful dry eye symptoms.
LipiFlow: Dry Eye Treatment
LipiFlow, by Johnson & Johnson Vision, is a Thermal Pulsation System that improves the function of meibomian glands. FDA-approved, safe and totally drug-free, it consists of a console and a single-use sterile Activator tool. Through gentle massage and heat, LipiFlow can enhance the quality of meibomian gland secretions. Eye doctors around the world are equipping their eye care clinics with this breakthrough technology to treat dry eye.
How does LipiFlow work?
Your eye doctor will begin by inserting numbing eye drops to ensure patient comfort. LipiFlow’s contoured eyepiece will then be placed gently over your cornea, vaulting over your eye’s surface in order to protect the delicate ocular structure. LipiFlow applies therapeutic heat and peristaltic energy pressure, with numerous sensors that regulate the temperature and pressure pulses. The combination of massage and heat works to expel any meibomian gland obstructions. The entire in-office procedure takes about 12 minutes.
What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Some people are unable to produce enough tears or the tears they do produce don’t possess the right qualities and ingredients to keep eyes healthy, comfortable and hydrated. A consistent lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye, known as dry eye syndrome, is often the result. Read more answers to dry eye questions here.
Normal, healthy eyes will constantly lubricate themselves by producing tears at a slow and steady rate, staying moist and comfortable most of the time. In order to accomplish this, healthy tears consist of three layers: an oily, a watery, and a mucus layer. Each layer has a specific role in lubricating your eyes, outlined below:
- The oily layer is on the outside. Its main purpose is to cause the tear to evaporate as slowly as possible, keeping the eye wet.
- The watery layer is sandwiched in the middle, making up the majority of each tear. The water washes the eyes of small foreign objects and particles.
- The core of each tear consists of mucus, which allows the watery layer to stick to the eye and spread evenly it, keeping it lubricated.
Unfortunately, if you have dry eyes, hormonal changes, side effects from medication or some other factor may be causing your eyes to either not produce enough tears or leave out parts of the tear that make proper lubrication possible.