Dry Eyes Melbourne CBD SEASONS

Dry Eye SEASON in Melbourne

Winter is the SEASON for dry eyes here in Melbourne

It's getting cold here in Melbourne. Puffer jackets are out and we've had to turn on the heating. These are classic signs that winter is coming which for us in our Optometry world, means that it's the season of dry eyes.

Dry eyes is much more common than you may think, in clinic we're seeing an increase in complaints of dry and watery eyes affecting every age group to varying degrees of severity. It can be particularly pronounced when the environment is not ideal e.g. long hours indoors on the computer with artificial heating that dries the eyes out. Symptoms range from mild discomfort, to pain that can significant reduce quality of life and cause disruptions. At the core of the issue, dry eyes occurs when the tear film that protects our eyes is disrupted. This can be caused by many internal and external factors:

What does dry eye feel like?

  • Stinging / gritty / burning sensation
  • Watery
  • Redness
  • Blurry vision that clears up when you blink
  • Light sensitivity

Some common causes of Dry Eye

External 

  • Environmental pollutants can increase inflammation and hence decrease tear quality.
  • Increased use of digital devices leads to reduced rate of blinking as we stare at our screens for long periods of time.
  • Contact lenses cause friction due to the lens rubbing against the eye which damages the front surface of the eye (cornea) and the tear film.
  • Laser eye surgery causes damage to the corneal nerves required for tearing and blinking.

Internal 

  • Blocked Oil Glands  around the eyelids (Meibomian Gland Dysfunction)
  • Chronic inflammatory conditions such as blepharitis and rosacea that affects the skin around the eye
  • Autoimmune conditions, primarily Sjogren's syndrome which affects the glands in the eye that produces aqueous, a key component of tears.
  • Systemic diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, hormonal imbalance and nerve damage.

For our patients here in Melbourne CBD, the most common cause of their dry eye is Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)

Meibomian glands are tiny oil-producing glands located along the eyelid margins. They secrete an oily layer that sits on the surface of the tears and works to prevent the evaporation of tears. Over time and especially in winter, the oils in these glands harden up causes blockages and gland dysfunction. This leads to poor tear film quality, rapid tear film breakdown and inflammation on the surface of the eye. MGD becomes increasingly prevalent with age, digital screen use, contact lens wear, and certain skin conditions such as rosacea.

Dry Eye Treatment here at SEASONS Optical

  1. Artificial tears - first line and mainstay management, recommended ~4 times per day, improved symptoms within a month of regular use.
  2. Warm compress - to reduce blockage of oil glands. Here at SEASONS Optical we have special eye Antibacterial "The Eye Doctor" eye masks designed to be used for warm compress therapy
  3. Lid massages - vertical motions to help express the oil glands, performed after warm compress. 
  4. Lid wipes - eyelid hygiene to reduce bacterial load that triggers the inflammation
  5. Steroid drops - short term use to reduce ocular inflammation.
  6. Cyclosporin drops i.e. Ikervis or Cequa - reserved for more severe forms of dry eye where artificial tears have not been effective, works by increasing natural tear and mucin production.

At SEASONS Optical, our goal is to look after your vision for every season- and right now, it's the season of dry eyes. Our therapeutically qualified optometrists can perform comprehensive dry eye assessments and prescribe the necessary medication for your dry eyes. We can diagnosis the root cause of your dry eye and determine the severity to recommend the best treatment option. We believe that a thorough assessment is key for us to provide the best treatment for your dry eyes.

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References: 

  1. Huang R, Su C, Fang L, Lu J, Chen J, Ding Y. Dry eye syndrome: comprehensive etiologies and recent clinical trials. Int Ophthalmol. 2022 Oct;42(10):3253-3272. doi: 10.1007/s10792-022-02320-7. Epub 2022 Jun 9. PMID: 35678897; PMCID: PMC9178318.

  2. Bron AJ, de Paiva CS, Chauhan SK, Bonini S, Gabison EE, Jain S, Knop E, Markoulli M, Ogawa Y, Perez V, Uchino Y, Yokoi N, Zoukhri D, Sullivan DA. TFOS DEWS II pathophysiology report. Ocul Surf. 2017 Jul;15(3):438-510. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2017.05.011. Epub 2017 Jul 20. Erratum in: Ocul Surf. 2019 Oct;17(4):842. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2019.08.007. PMID: 28736340.
  3. Blehm C, Vishnu S, Khattak A, Mitra S, Yee RW. Computer vision syndrome: a review. Surv Ophthalmol. 2005 May-Jun;50(3):253-62. doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2005.02.008. PMID: 15850814.

  4. Semp DA, Beeson D, Sheppard AL, Dutta D, Wolffsohn JS. Artificial Tears: A Systematic Review. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2023 Jan 10;15:9-27. doi: 10.2147/OPTO.S350185. PMID: 36647552; PMCID: PMC9840372.

  5. Periman LM, Perez VL, Saban DR, Lin MC, Neri P. The Immunological Basis of Dry Eye Disease and Current Topical Treatment Options. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2020 Apr;36(3):137-146. doi: 10.1089/jop.2019.0060. Epub 2020 Mar 12. PMID: 32175799; PMCID: PMC7175622.


 

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