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A New Way to Manage Dry Eyes:
OptiLight by Lumenis
Dry eye disease is a common condition that affects the eye’s ability to keep itself lubricated. The problem occurs within the eye’s tear film. If a patient’s tear film isn’t able to produce and maintain high-quality tears, it’s possible the patient will begin to experience the irritation and symptoms of dry eye.
Dry eye can be caused by a variety of factors. Some limit the eye from producing tears, while others increase the evaporation speed of the tears. Factors such as diet, dry air, allergies, screen use and old age can all contribute to a patient’s risk of dry eye.
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.
We’re passionate about providing our patients with effective and accurate dry eye disease diagnosis and treatment. With top-of-the-line instruments, our practice uses several diagnostic tools to uncover any potential issues and make recommendations on the best treatments available.
One of these possible treatments is OptiLight by Lumenis. We’re proud to be the one of the few practices in the area to offer this option specially designed for dry eye disease management.
What is OptiLight by Lumenis and how does it work?
OptiLight IPL by Lumenis is a light-based, non-invasive treatment performed on the area below the eyes to manage dry eye disease. It is 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.
OptiLight uses precise pulses of light to reduce the inflammation that is typically associated with dry eye disease. OptiLight is able to attack dry eye disease from many different angles:
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Improve the tear film
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Decrease the number of bacteria and mites around the eyes
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Eliminate unwanted pro-inflammatory blood vessels
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Increase the tear oil gland secretions
What to Expect
Before Your Treatment
To determine if you are a candidate for OptiLight IPL, you will have a Dry Eye Evaluation, during which the doctor will perform an evaluation of your tear film and meibomian gland function, as well as prescribe customized treatments for your dry eye disease. If OptiLight IPL is one of those treatments, our team will perform a test of OptiLight on your cheek before booking your full treatment.
To prepare for your full OptiLight IPL treatment, you will fill out an online questionnaire to identify any possible contraindications and a consent form. We recommend avoiding sun exposure or artificial tanning for 3 to 4 weeks before the appointment date.
For your appointment, do not apply any makeup or face cream. If you have long hair, you may want to wear it up as we’ll apply gel to the treatment areas.
During Your Treatment
This treatment is fast and simple. During the treatment, your doctor will apply a coupling gel to the treatment area and cover your eyes with shields and protective goggles.
As light is applied to the skin, you will experience an instant of bright light couples with a warm sensation. The treatment is gentle with minimum discomfort. The treatment itself will only take 10-15 minutes and is typically well-tolerated.
After Your Treatment
After your treatment, it’s normal for your face to feel warm. The gel will be removed and your face cleaned. Sun protection
You can wear makeup after your treatment, but it’s important to apply sunscreen to your face if you’re going to be outside.
The only restriction is to avoid UV exposure- to include outdoor sun exposure, sun tanning booths, and sun tanning products for the following 2 weeks. Sun protection is always important, but the two weeks following an IPL treatment is crucial.
The recommended initial treatment plan is to perform IPL treatments every 2-4 weeks. Four treatments are expected to achieve the desired result.
