OptiLight Dry Eye Treatment: How Does It Work?

Dry eye is a condition that can adversely affect your quality of life. Many are unaware that they suffer from it and that treatments are available. They continue to live with blurry vision, light sensitivity, and the gritty feeling like there is sand in their eyes. 

They may use eye drops and other means to alleviate the symptoms. However, there is a need for a permanent solution. OptiLight® offers this solution.

What Is OptiLight?

It is a groundbreaking treatment that effectively deals with dry eyes and their symptoms. It uses intense pulsed light to help the meibomian glands release oil into your tears. Intense pulsed light therapy utilizes specific wavelengths of light to treat the underlying causes of dry eyes. It is a painless in-office procedure.

How Does It Work?

One of the causes of dry eyes is low-quality tears. The tears lack one of their three components, making it hard to maintain consistency. Usually, the missing component is oil, which prevents your tears from evaporating too quickly. 

The meibomian glands are responsible for producing this oil. OptiLight targets these glands and reduces their inflammation. It removes any blockages and allows the oil to flow into your eyes, lubricating them.

The Process

At the beginning of your procedure, the doctor will place shields over your eyes. These will protect them from light pulses. They will apply a thin cooling gel layer over the treatment area. Afterward, they use a small device to administer light pulses to the skin around your eyelids.

The gentle light pulses dislodge the oil buildup, reducing inflammation and allowing oil to flow from the meibomian glands. The doctor may need to stimulate the flow by expressing oil from the glands. After that, the oil will continue to flow on its own.

How Long Will Treatment Take?

The in-office treatment lasts for 10 to 15 minutes. You may also find that your symptoms improve after one or two visits. However, your doctor may recommend four treatment sessions. You will have one every month for a total of four months. In severe cases, the doctor may recommend additional treatments.

Although your symptoms will significantly improve, you may need additional treatments after nine months. The time frame may vary, but the treatments will ensure that you have lasting results. Your doctor will recommend the number of sessions you may need depending on the severity of your condition.

What to Expect

Although you may experience immediate improvements, it takes several appointments before you notice any drastic changes. Sometimes, you may experience blurry vision as the meibomian glands release more oil into your eyes. There is no need for panic. Your eyes will adjust to it. Also, there is no downtime. You can resume your daily activities immediately after treatment.

Conclusion

Standard treatments like artificial tears, eye drops, and hot compresses only provide temporary relief. In contrast, OptiLight targets the underlying cause of dry eyes. It relieves your symptoms and slows down the progression of chronic dry eyes.

For more information on OptiLight, visit City Eyes Optometry Center at our Office in Sherman Oaks, California. Call (818) 960-1300 to book an appointment today.