Treatment for dry eye
IPL Therapy for Dry Eye
Treatment for Dry EYe
IPL Therapy for Dry Eye
Treatment for dry eye – intense pulsed light therapy
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy is an ideal treatment for patients who struggle with inflammation and clogged oil glands. We can clear out the clogged glands, but if we don’t control the inflammation itself, relief won’t last as long. What we need to do is reduce the inflammation surrounding the glands to thin out the oil and keep it moving. This way, we protect the glands from future issues as well as improve your comfort and the health of the surface of your eye.
For example, the same inflammation that causes rosacea to appear on the face—redness, rough, thickened skin, enlarged veins, etc.— can also creep up toward the eyes. The inflammation (think swelling) eventually begins to choke off the glands that produce and bring oil to the surface of the eye. The result is red, dry, itchy, painful eyes, also known as dry eye disease. By using IPL therapy, our doctor can treat the root of the problem—the inflammation/rosacea—instead of just treating the symptoms that patients experience
From rosacea to dry eye treatment
IPL has been used for decades by dermatologists to treat rosacea. Along the way, they noticed that IPL also helped improve dry eye symptoms, so eye doctors began using IPL to treat dry eyes specifically. The great news is that you’ll still get the cosmetic benefits from IPL, such as significantly reduced redness from rosacea, reduction in the appearance of veins in the face, less visible fine lines, and plumper, brighter skin, among others. The treatment consists of four initial treatments, each two weeks apart. After those initial sessions, patients should only need a single session every six months for maintenance. Daily use of sunscreen throughout the treatment period is important to prevent sunburn and skin darkening, which can cause complications.
Schedule an eye exam in Keene
At New England EyeWorks in Keene, our team is dedicated to helping you maintain healthy eyes and clear vision. Take the first step toward better eye health by reaching out to our office in Keene and scheduling your next eye exam.