While dry eye is sometimes dismissed as a minor inconvenience, it can significantly affect your quality of life and, if left untreated, may lead to inflammation, corneal damage, and fluctuating vision. At Pure Sight Eye Surgeons, we take dry eye seriously and offer a range of diagnostic and treatment options, including advanced therapies that go beyond standard eye drops.
Dr Jonathan Yip and Dr Jennifer Pack lead our dry eye clinics, providing detailed assessment and customised treatment plans.Dr Chiu also has particular expertise in managing dry eye in the context of refractive and cataract surgery, where the ocular surface needs to be optimised for the best possible surgical outcomes. She also pioneered the use of IPL to treat dry eye in Australia, with the Lumenis M22, with extensive experience in this technology since 2016.
What Causes Dry Eye?
Tears are more complex than most people realise. A healthy tear film has three layers: an outer oily (lipid) layer that prevents evaporation, a middle watery (aqueous) layer that nourishes and hydrates, and an inner mucin layer that contains proteins and helps the tears spread evenly. Inflammation is also often a modulator of dry eye. Causes of dry eye are often multifactorial and commonly include:
- Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) — the most common cause, where blocked glands reduce the oily layer
- Age — tear production decreases after age 50
- Hormonal changes — more common in post-menopausal women
- Screen use — reduces blink rate
- Environmental factors — air conditioning, wind, low humidity
- Contact lens wear – causing a barrier to oxygenation of the surface of the eye
- Medications — antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure medications are some of the more common medications that contribute to dry eye
- Autoimmune conditions — Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis
- Previous eye surgery — dry eye can occur after laser surgery, though it often improves in the short term post procedure period
Treatment
Treatment at Pure Sight is tailored to the type and severity of your dry eye:
- Lubricating eye drops — preservative-free formulations for frequent use
- Medicated eye drops — anti-inflammatory drops for dry eye involving inflammation
- Low Light therapy – non-invasive painless red or near-red light wavelengths used to treat meibomian gland dysfunction
- IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy — controlled light pulses to stimulate meibomian glands and reduce inflammation
- Blephasteam — a clinic-based thermal treatment for blocked meibomian glands
- Punctal plugs — tiny temporary or permanent devices inserted in the tear drainage channels to keep tears on the eye longer
- Lifestyle modifications — screen breaks, humidifiers, omega-3 supplements, UV protection
Dry Eye and Eye Surgery
If you’re considering laser eye surgery, ICL surgery, or cataract surgery, the health of your ocular surface is an important factor. Dry eye can affect surgical measurements and post-operative comfort. At Pure Sight, we assess and, where necessary, treat dry eye before surgery to optimise your results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can dry eye be cured?
Dry eye is typically a chronic condition requiring ongoing management. However, with the right treatment plan, symptoms can be significantly reduced and the underlying causes addressed.
Why do my eyes water if they're dry?
Watery eyes are actually a common symptom. When the eye surface becomes too dry, it triggers a reflex flood of watery tears that don’t provide lasting relief.
What is LLT (low light therapy)?
Low light therapy is a safe, non-thermal, non-invasive treatment that uses gentle light energy (typically in the red or near-infrared spectrum) to stimulate cellular function and meibomian gland dysfunction, proving beneficial for treatment of dry eyes.
What is IPL therapy and does it work?
IPL uses controlled light pulses to stimulate meibomian glands and reduce inflammation. Multiple sessions are typically needed. It’s particularly effective for evaporative dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction.