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Am I a Good Candidate for LipiFlow?

July 1, 2024

Do you have dry, itchy eyes? Do you depend on eye drops and artificial tears to get through the day?

If your eyes are frequently irritated, you may have dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome is a prevalent chronic condition that millions suffer from.

But it can cause discomfort and long-term damage to your eyes and their health. Treatment can alleviate your discomfort and prevent vision loss.

One of these treatments is LipiFlow, a non-invasive, nonsurgical, in-office therapy offered at Maryland Eye Associates. Many people with dry eye syndrome are great candidates for LipiFlow.

You may be one as well. To find out for sure, you'll need to be tested to determine if you have dry eye syndrome and, if you do, if that dry eye syndrome is caused by something called meibomian gland dysfunction. Keep reading to discover if you could be a good candidate for LipiFlow and how the treatment could help your dry eye symptoms!

What is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eyes cause many symptoms, including:

  • Burning
  • Stinging
  • Redness
  • Inflammation
  • Feeling like there's grit or sand in the eyes
  • Excessive tearing
  • Mucus build-up around the eyes
  • Itchiness
  • Light sensitivity

Your eyes may be dry for several reasons. Being in a dry environment can sometimes make your eyes feel dry and uncomfortable.

Dehydration, improper contact lens use, and other temporary issues can also be factors. But when your eyes frequently feel dry and correcting any environmental triggers doesn't fully resolve your symptoms, it could be because you have dry eye syndrome.

Dry eye syndrome is a common condition often associated with aging. Although it's common if you're older, anyone can develop the condition.

It's especially common in women going through menopause and in people with inflammatory skin conditions. But anyone of any age, sex, or medical history can develop dry eye syndrome.

The leading cause of dry eyes is an issue with tear production or tear dispersal. If you have dry eye syndrome, it will be because you either aren't producing enough tears or the tears you're producing are not high-quality.

But you also need a healthy tear film to keep your eyes from getting too dry. The tear film is the layer of tears that coats your eyes and is distributed each time you blink.

When you have dry eye syndrome, it's usually because there's an issue in tear production, which affects the quality of your tears. This often leads to evaporative dry eye, meaning your tears evaporate too quickly on the surface of your eye. Meibomian gland dysfunction is frequently responsible for this.

What is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction?

To understand meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), you must first understand what makes up your tear film. Your eyes produce three separate components to make tears: mucus, which is the inner layer; water, which is the middle layer; and oil (also called lipids), which is the outer protective layer.

You need a balance of these three components to produce good-quality tears. Meibomian gland dysfunction happens when the glands that produce lipids, the meibomian glands, aren't working correctly.

The oil is blocked and cannot flow freely, so your tear film lacks enough oil to protect your tears. Lacking this essential oil causes your tears to evaporate too quickly on the eye's surface, so your tears can't hydrate your eyes properly.

Around 86% of dry eye syndrome cases are caused by meibomian gland dysfunction. The good news is that LipiFlow is an excellent treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction and, in turn, dry eye syndrome.

LipiFlow for Patients with Dry Eye Syndrome from Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

LipiFlow uses a combination of gentle light and heat to soften clogged meibomian glands. This is done with a device placed over your eyelids.

It's a non-invasive in-office treatment that only takes 10-15 minutes to complete. Most people with dry eye syndrome can benefit from LipiFlow.

But before you get LipiFlow, your eye doctor does need to confirm that you have meibomian gland dysfunction and that treatment is likely to be effective for you.

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Who is a Good LipiFlow Candidate?

Your eye doctor must test your tear film composition to know if you have dry eye syndrome. Testing your tear film composition also allows them to see if you likely have meibomian gland dysfunction.

The test involves collecting a sample of your tears and analyzing it with specialized technology. This allows your eye doctor to measure the amount of each tear component you're producing.

Too little oil is a good indication that you may have meibomian gland dysfunction. Before you have LipiFlow treatment, you'll also be evaluated with a complete comprehensive eye exam to make sure there isn't anything else causing your dry eye symptoms.

Your eye doctor will also examine your meibomian glands more closely. But if you have dry eye syndrome, you likely also have meibomian gland dysfunction and may be able to find relief with LipiFlow.

Why Treatment for Dry Eye Syndrome is Important

If you're considered a good candidate for LipiFlow, getting the treatment is highly beneficial. It can not only give you much-needed relief from uncomfortable dry eye symptoms, but it can also potentially prevent vision loss.

Dry eye syndrome can have disastrous consequences if left untreated. Your eyes need moisture to stay healthy.

Without it, you're at higher risk for corneal abrasions, infections, and corneal ulcers. Ulcers can cause damage to your corneal tissue that can affect your vision.

To prevent all those consequences, have your eyes examined if you're experiencing dry eye symptoms. Your eye doctor can help get you the treatment you need, whether that's LipiFlow or one of the other dry eye syndrome treatments offered at Maryland Eye Associates.

Are you ready to take control of your dry eyes? Take the first step by requesting an appointment at Maryland Eye Associates in Prince Frederick, MD, today!