Dry Eye Therapy In South Barrington, IL

Dry eyes are not just uncomfortable. If left untreated, they can lead to long term corneal damage. If you suffer from dry eyes, Style Optique is here to help. We believe in getting to the root of your dry eyes, not just treating your symptoms. Once we identify the underlying cause, we can create a tailored treatment plan to resolve the issue.

For more information about the dry eye treatments available, or to schedule your next appointment, please contact our office.

Dry Eye Causes

Dry eyes have two root causes: poor tear quality and inadequate tear volume. Our eyes need tears to stay lubricated, so if we are not able to produce high-quality tears in sufficient quantities, our eyes can become dry and irritated.

Poor Tear Quality

Our tears contain three main ingredients: oil (called meibum), water, and mucin. The meibum forms a protective barrier on the surface of our tears and prevents them from evaporating too quickly. The mucin ensures that our eyes have an even coating of tears across their surface. If our eyes are unable to distribute our tears uniformly, or our tears are evaporating too quickly, it can lead to dry eyes.

Inadequate Tear Volume

Tears are produced by several different glands located in and around our eyelids. As we age, we produce fewer tears, but our ability to produce sufficient tears can also be compromised by some medications and medical conditions.

Even if we do produce enough high-quality tears, environmental factors such as wind or a dry climate can cause our tears to evaporate too quickly, leading to dry eyes.

Dry Eye Symptoms

Dry eyes have a variety of symptoms. These include:

Red eyes
A gritty or foreign body sensation
Tired eyes
Itching or burning eyes
Blurry vision
Light sensitivity
Excessive glare, particularly while driving at night

Dry Eye Therapy at Style Optique

Style Optique offers a range of dry eye treatment options to suit your unique situation. Treatments include:

Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs are tiny biocompatible caps that can be inserted into your tear drainage ducts in your eyelids to prevent your tears from draining too quickly. By partially plugging your drainage ducts, your eyes can retain more of the tears produced, increasing the tear volume.

Medicated Eye Drops

Medicated eye drops, such as Restasis, can help relieve your dry eye symptoms by reducing inflammation and encouraging natural tear production. Artificial tear drops can only offer temporary relief, and do not address the underlying causes of your dry eyes or increase natural tear production.

Meibomian Gland Expression

Our meibomian glands, which are located in our eyelids, are responsible for producing meibum. If these glands become clogged, it can cause dry eyes. Meibomian gland expression is an in-office dry eye treatment that involves using heat and massage to soften the meibum and clear blocked glands, allowing your eyelids to resume normal tear production.

There is no need to suffer from dry eyes with these treatments available. For more information on the dry eye therapy offered by Style Optique, or to request an appointment, please contact our office.