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Dry Eye Treatment in Long Grove

Looking for a Dry Eye Optometrist? Call our Dry Eye Clinic at Midwest Dry Eye Center today!

Midwest Dry Eye Center

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What Is Dry Eye Syndrome? (DES)

Dry eye syndrome is a condition characterized by the eye bei ng able to produce enough tears, or tears with the proper construction, to keep itself hydrated and comfortable. This can lead to symptoms such as dry, itchy, gritty feeling or watery eyes. In some cases it can also lead to painful scratches on the eye corneal ulcers and an increased risk of painful eye infections.

Dry eye syndrome requires proper treatment so that it doesn’t get worse over time.

What Causes Dry Eyes?

The majority of dry eye cases (over 80%) occur because of a condition known as meibomian gland dysfunction. This occurs when the meibomian glands, which are located inside the inner edge of the eyelids, are blocked, preventing oils from coming out that are essential to prevent tear evaporation. This leads to tears evaporating too quickly, leaving the eyes feeling dry and uncomfortable.

Beyond this, other factors that can lead to dry eye syndrome include:

Gender – Most people who suffer from dry eyes are women. This is because hormonal changes caused by things like pregnancy, menopause, or the use of contraceptives can cause symptoms.

Age If you’re over 50 years old, you are at higher risk of developing dry eye syndrome.

Environment – dry wind, dry air and dry climates can cause tears to evaporate much faster. heaters at home or in the car, air conditioners, fans and hair dryers can also speed up evaporation.

Medication – these include antidepressants, decongestants and blood pressure medications.

Auto-immune disorders – Sjogren’s disease and arthritis, among others.

Our Incredible Dry Eye Experts at
Midwest Dry Eye Center

Located just off IL-83, North of Fairfield Drive, our Long Grove dry eye clinic offers top-notch solutions to help you start seeing better and more comfortably as quickly as possible.

If you regularly experience dry, red, itchy, watery, or gritty-feeling eyes, our team of dry eye experts can help get to the bottom of what’s causing your symptoms and find just the right treatment for you. We have many years of experience helping patients just like you live a more comfortable life, with the help of the latest technology for the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye syndrome.

Ready to see and feel the difference for yourself? Come visit us, or give us a call at 847-383-5852 today!

Jacqueline Cozzone O.D.

Jacqueline Cozzone O.D.

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Todd Cohan O.D.

How Is Dry Eye Syndrome Diagnosed?

The dry eye experts at Midwest Dry Eye Center work hard to identify the root of your dry eye symptoms so that we can come up with a treatment plan that is fully tailored to your specific needs. That's why we use the latest techniques and technologies to diagnose your dry eye syndrome. Examples of some of the technologies and techniques we use include:

TearLab

One of the first things we want to check is how stable your tear film is. TearLab allows us to test how much salt, water, and lipids (fatty oils) are in your tears. This allows us to assess whether your tears are made to properly coat and hydrate the eye, and prevent the tears from evaporating too quickly.

Phenol Red Thread Test

Results from the TearLab test will inform us whether we also need to assess the overall volume of your tears. In order to test this, our optometrist will place a thin piece of red thread and drape it over the eyes for a few seconds in order to measure how wet the eye gets. Your dry eye doctor will then compare the results from both eyes, and determine if tear volume is an issue to be addressed.

Fluorescein Dry Test

Our dry eye doctor will also test your tear breakup time. Sometimes, tears don’t last long enough to work effectively. In order to test for this, we use a fluorescein orange dye to test the breakup time (as well as any other corneal diseases, conditions, or foreign bodies). Using a small blotting paper, the optometrist will lightly touch your eye. As you blink, the dye spreads and gently coats the tear film covering the cornea. Using a blue light (the dye is orange), any problems will be revealed to the eye doctor by emitting a green color.

Lipiscan

Issues with the meibomian glands are a very common cause of chronic dry eyes. LipiScan takes a high-resolution digital image of the lower and upper glands which can tell us if they’re healthy, or if their blocked, dilating, atrophied, gunky, etc. Many dry eye problems can be addressed simply by clearing up issues with the meibomian glands.

InflammaDry

InflammaDry is a diagnostic tool that assesses your tears for elevated levels of MMP-9. MMP-9 is a protein that indicates inflammation, which is a common indicator of dry eye syndrome.

Dr. Todd Cohan & Dr. Jacqueline Cozzone will typically prescribe steroids in order to get the eye inflammation under control.

TempSure 640

Lasting & Effective Dry Eye Treatment

Once we've determined the cause of your dry eye symptoms, we'll be ready to offer treatment to help you start seeing more clearly and comfortably.

The most typical treatments we start with, depending on the specific cause of your symptoms, are medicated eye drops, anti-inflammatory drops, or heated compresses. We may also insert a tiny device called a punctal plug into your eye’s tear duct. This slows the drainage of tears out of the eye, keeping them there longer, and providing extra moisture to the eye.

Let Dr. Todd Cohan and the talented, experienced dry eye staff at Midwest Dry Eye Center help get you started on the path to real long-term relief from dry eye.

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Do You Have More Questions About Dry Eyes? | FAQ

medical-plus medical-plus Is there a cure for dry eye syndrome?

Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure for dry eye syndrome. However, there are a number of effective ways to prevent or treat symptoms. Make an appointment today with our trusted optometrists in Long Grove for evaluation and personalized treatment options.

medical-plus medical-plus What is the main cause of dry eye syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome commonly occurs because your eyes are not producing enough tears, or the tears being produced don’t contain the proper components to keep the eyes hydrated. An eye doctor can perform tests to determine what is causing your dry eyes, and how to treat the symptoms.

medical-plus medical-plus How do I prevent dry eye symptoms?

Many factors including allergies, hormones and the weather can cause dry eye symptoms such as dry, red, itchy and gritty-feeling eyes. Tips to prevent these symptoms include:

  • Eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help produce oils in your tears that slow evaporation.

 

  • Following the ”20-20-20 rule” when working on computers or screens. This means looking away from the screen every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds, at something at least 20 feet away, to give your eyes a break from the strain of working on digital screens.

 

  • Position air vents, fans and heaters so that they don’t blow directly into your eyes, drying them out.

Can dry eye syndrome cause blindness?

Yes. In extreme circumstances, dry eyes can result in scratches on the eye that leaves scars on the cornea. This scarring can make it difficult for the eye to focus incoming light, obscuring vision. This may eventually result in permanent vision damage or blindness if not treated properly.

Don’t wait for dry eye syndrome to deteriorate.

Take action today by booking an appointment with Midwest Dry Eye Center.