Dry eye is a common, often chronic condition, as we age and more prevalent especially in today’s screen-focused world. It happens when your eyes either don’t produce enough high-quality tears or when your tear film quality deteriorates C tears evaporate too quickly, leaving your eyes uncomfortable and irritated.
Common symptoms include:
- Dryness or a gritty feeling
- Watering
- Redness
- Burning or stinging
- Sensation that something is in your eye
- Blurry or fluctuating vision
- Sensitivity to light
Common causes of dry eye include:
- Meibomian Gland Dysfunction – a condition where the oil glands in your eyelids deteriorate C don’t work properly
- Medications – Certain prescriptions can reduce tear production
- Inflammatory conditions – Autoimmune diseases or allergies can cause eyelid or eye surface inflammation
- Environmental factors – Dry air, wind, or long hours in front of screens can make dry eye worse
- Contact lens wear – Daily contact lens wear can exacerbate dryness
At West 5 Optometry, we take a personalized approach to diagnosing and managing dry eye. From advanced testing to tailored treatments — including specialized eyelid therapies, prescription drops, and lifestyle guidance. We work with you to relieve discomfort and protect your eyes for the long term.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of dry eye, book a dry eye assessment with our team today to start feeling more comfortable and see clearly again.
Dry Eye Assessment
At West 5 Optometry, we offer a thorough Dry Eye Assessment to help identify the specific causes of your discomfort. Understanding exactly what’s contributing to your dry eye allows us to tailor a treatment plan that’s most effective for you.
Our assessment includes the OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) questionnaire to evaluate your symptoms, testing for inflammation, and a Firefly Slit Lamp Evaluation, which provides a detailed look at the health of your eyes and eyelids. This advanced test measures:
- How quickly your tears evaporate
- How many tears your eyes are producing
- The amount of oil in your tears
- The number of functional oil glands in your eyelids
- Redness in your eyes
- How often and completely you blink
- The condition of your eyelids
- Any superficial damage caused by dryness
By combining this information, we can create a personalized treatment plan of in-office and/or at-home therapies to relieve your symptoms, improve your eye health, and protect your vision long-term.
Take the Dry Eye Ǫuiz now to see if you might be experiencing dry eye and book your Dry Eye Assessment at West 5 Optometry today to get started on the path to healthier, more comfortable eyes.
Lipiflow Thermal Pulsation System
Lipiflow is a device used to manage evaporative dry eye. It uses a combination of heat and gentle pressure to relieve blockage of the Meibomian (oil) glands in your eyelids. Lipiflow is designed to improve eye function C comfort, reduce the need for eye drops, and treat the root cause of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Lipiflow is a service that we offer at West 5 Optometry that is most often used in conjunction with the other in-office treatments below in our Ultimate Dry Eye Package. Ask our team if Lipiflow is right for you.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)
IPL is a light therapy treatment that is beneficial for dry eye, rosacea, sun damage, and more. The light pulses penetrate the tissue and create heat which targets abnormal blood vessels that are the root cause of inflammation associated with dry eye. IPL light also heats the Meibomian (oil) glands in the eyelid to help increase outflow and creates a healthier tear film.
IPL is a service offered at West 5 Optometry often in conjunction with the treatments listed below in our Advanced Dry Eye package or with addition of Lipiflow in our Ultimate Dry Eye Package.
ZEST (Zocular Eyelid System Treatment)
ZEST is an in-office deep cleansing C exfoliating eye treatment that cleans the eyelid margins of oils, debris, and bacteria. It contains okra which is rich in antioxidants to reduce inflammation and fend off damaging free radicals.
ZEST is designed to reduce itching, burning, ands grittiness associated with dry eye, blepharitis, and demodex (eyelid mites). It is included in all of our Dry Eye Packages at West 5 Optometry.
LLLT (Low Level Light Modulation Therapy)
LLLT incorporates LEDs of specific wavelengths that provide different benefits to a dry eye patient. Red LLLT stimulates an immune response in the Meibomian (oil) gland cells in the eyelid in a process called photobiomodulation. Photobiomodulation helps improve cell metabolism and reduces inflammation to help promote tear film stabilization. Blue LLLT stimulates photodynamic inactivation which has the purpose of killing bacteria and Demodex (eyelid mites) which is helpful in conditions like blepharitis C styes.
LLLT is included in all our Dry Eye packages at West 5 Optometry. Ask our team which package may be beneficial to you.