Has it been suggested to you to use over-the-counter tears and you do not feel any relief? Many people with chronic dry eye actually have poor-quality oil in their tears, or not enough of it, a condition called meibomian gland dysfunction, and drops alone cannot fix that.
Dr. Amy Rudser and the team at Advanced Eye Care Professionals offer TearCare, an in-office treatment built specifically to address meibomian gland dysfunction at its source rather than masking the symptoms.
The meibomian glands line the upper and lower eyelids and produce the oil layer that keeps tears from evaporating too quickly. When those glands become clogged or dysfunctional, tears break down faster than normal, causing the gritty, burning discomfort common to evaporative dry eye. TearCare applies gentle, consistent heat to the eyelids while you blink normally, which softens the thickened oil inside the glands. Your doctor then manually expresses the glands to clear the blockage, restoring healthier oil flow to the tear film. The in-office procedure typically takes about 15 minutes and does not require you to close your eyes during treatment.
TearCare is most often recommended for patients who experience:
Meibomian glands go across the entire lid margin of our upper and lower eyelids and produce the oil layer on our tear film. A clogged or dysfunctional meibomian gland prevents the oil from being released and mixing with the tears, so they don’t evaporate too quickly between blinks. Meibomian gland dysfunction will become progressively worse if left untreated, which is why an eye exam is the best way to confirm TearCare is the right fit before symptoms advance further.
Every TearCare recommendation starts with an eye exam to evaluate how well your meibomian glands are functioning. If TearCare is appropriate, Dr. Rudser will walk you through what to expect, and the procedure itself is generally well tolerated. TearCare can be repeated as needed depending on how the glands respond, and for some patients it works well alongside other therapies such as OptiLight, which targets inflammation around the eyelids rather than gland blockage directly.
If warm compresses and over-the-counter drops have stopped helping, the next step is a dry eye evaluation rather than switching to yet another drop. The first step is to schedule an eye exam. Contact us or schedule an appointment to see the next available time online.
Are you ready to up-level your eye care experience? Reach out to Advanced Eye Care Professionals for more information about our services. We’re happy to help!
