Dry Eye is more common today than ever before. In fact, more than 100 million people worldwide suffer from dry eye, which is often painful, persistent and annoying.
What’s up with that?
Near work – think computers, smartphones, video
games – is likely to blame for the increase in dry eye symptoms. All of these activities interfere with the
quality and quantity of blinks. Not enough quality blinks means not enough natural tears, which means dry eye
symptoms.
Which means…
Hello, artificial tears. Which are great, but if you’re
using them all day, every day, there just might be a better way…
Mann Eye Institute has Ocular Surface Treatment Centers in Houston and Austin dedicated to helping people just like you overcome their chronic dry eye.
Because while dry eye is common, it doesn’t mean you have to live with it!
The Mann Eye Ocular Surface Treatment Centers (Dry Eye Clinics) are run by dry eye specialists like Dr. Paul Mann and Dr. David Tremblay who are dedicated to helping patients like you See Life Better through customized treatment plans.
Common symptoms of dry eye can include dryness, grittiness, soreness, irritation, burning and eye fatigue. But since those are symptoms also commonly associated with allergies, infections and more, it’s important to determine if what you’re experiencing is in fact, chronic dry eye.
To do that, our dry eye specialist will perform a series of diagnostic tests to evaluate your unique ocular surface condition. This will help us determine the best course of action (specifically for you). Your personal dry eye assessment may include:
Once our doctors have a full assessment of what is causing your dry eye and the severity of your case, they can recommend a custom dry eye treatment plan to get you on your way to overcoming dry eye!
By definition, dry eye is a condition whereby your tears are not providing adequate lubrication for your eyes. But why your tears are coming up short? Well, there are many possible factors.
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Blepharitis is chronic inflammation of the eyelids caused by an overgrowth of normal bacteria along the lid and the base of the eyelashes. As we age, we make fewer natural antibodies in our tears, increasing the likelihood of developing blepharitis.
This bacterial overgrowth produces a biofilm that traps bacterial debris along the eyelashes and lid margin. This low-grade inflammation adversely affects the tear glands, decreasing tear production. Fewer tears can lead to chronic irritation and, you guessed it, dry eye.
Solution: BlephEx (more on this treatment below)
Ocular Rosacea is inflammation that causes redness, burning, itching and dryness of the eyes. It often develops in people who have rosacea, a chronic skin condition that affects the face, and can be a contributing factor to chronic dry eye.
Solution: IPL (more on this treatment below)
In simple terms, this is when your tears have either a quality or quantity issue. More technically, the thinning of the aqueous layer of the tear film due to reduced tear secretion from the lacrimal glands or thinning of the lipid layer of the tear film due to reduced meibum (oil) secretion from the meibomian glands can lead to rapid evaporation and tear film instability.
Many factors can cause tear film instability, including some medications and certain medical conditions.
Solution: ThermiEyes (more on this treatment below)
Dry Eye can be complicated. Multifactorial, if you will.
At Mann Eye Institute’s Ocular Treatment Centers, we have solutions - Dry Eye Packages customized for your unique dry eye situation.
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As part of our commitment to state-of-the-art treatment technology, we now offer the first
and only IPL FDA-approved for the management of dry eye disease due to MGD. Introducing OptiLight – a bright
solution for dry eyes. The treatment is comfortable, precise and proven effective.
OptiLight uses precise and intense broad-spectrum light to address inflammation – one key
underlying factor in dry eye disease. This light is gently applied to your skin using OptiLight’s novel
Optimal Pulse Technology (OPT). With four treatments of only 10-15 minutes, you could effectively manage your
dry eye with no downtime.
Watch the video below to learn more about OptiLight.
Eyelid cleaning procedure to help maintain clean and healthy lids
BlephEx is a painless in-office procedure that expertly cleans your eyelids and eyelashes. A small handheld device is used to very precisely spin a soft medical-grade micro-sponge along the edge of your lids and lashes, effectively removing accumulated bacterial biofilm.
Once the biofilm is removed, your eyelids are cleaner and healthier. This matters because a healthy eyelid is critical for normal tear production. And as we’ve already learned, normal tear production aids in preventing dry eye.
Treatment may need to be repeated every four to six months.
Safe, precise, non-invasive and takes just 10 minutes per eye to relieve dry eye and tighten skin around the eyes
THERMIeyes was designed to tighten the skin around the eyes to reduce wrinkles, but with continued treatment, it also relieves chronic dry eye. Win, win!
The THERMIeyes application is performed using a specially designed, temperature-controlled radiofrequency device. It tightens the skin with collagen remodeling while also improving the quality of your tears in a series of three to six applications.
Keeps eyes hydrated and improves visual acuity
Recent studies have shown great success in treating moderate to severe dry eye symptoms with scleral lenses, a hard contact lens that is larger than a typical contact lens. The scleral lens holds a reservoir of tears next to the cornea, reducing discomfort and dry eye symptoms, decreasing use of artificial tears and improving visual acuity.
Think of it as a comfortable contact lens that holds moisture right where you need it – on the surface of your eye. Some patients report that their vision is better than with their glasses or regular contacts.
Most insurance plans cover scleral lenses.
Membrane dissolves into eye to naturally heal dry eye
This sounds like science fiction but stay with me.
These contact lenses are made with amniotic membranes, the inner layer of the fetal membrane. Wow. They have anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, anti-angiogenic and anti-microbial properties. They dissolve and the cornea absorbs the nutrients, improving dry eye symptoms.
One of our doctors will gently place the tiny amniotic membrane onto your eye and cover it with a clear, soft, disposable contact lens to hold the amniotic tissue in place. Once the membrane has dissolved – within a couple of days – the contact is removed, but the benefits stay!
Most insurance plans cover amniotic membrane contact lenses.
Most of the products, services and treatments we offer at Mann Eye Institute are quite nuanced and specific to certain vision conditions. Rarely do we find a product that has an impact across many different areas of eye health. Avenova, by NovaBay, is one such product. We’ve found this cleanser to benefit our patients in a number of applications, including bacterial eye infections, cataract surgery and even dry eye treatments.
Bacterial eye infections can be uncomfortable and unsightly, causing red, itchy, swollen eyes or crusting of the eyelids. Blepharitis, an inflammatory condition of the eyelids, is often associated with diseases such as rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis. This condition, like bacterial eye infections, often includes symptoms such as burning or pain, crusting of the eyelids and eyelashes, redness, watering and gritty eyes. Patients suffering from such symptoms have shown marked relief after using Avenova, a prescription eyelid cleanser that treats symptoms associated with eye infections. Avenova contains Neutrox, a proprietary, pure, stable form of hypochlorous acid that is shown in laboratory testing to be a rapid anti-microbial, anti-toxin and anti-biofilm preservative. It is the first lid and lash hygiene product of its kind with no known side effects and no surfactants, which can increase the risk of contact dermatitis or other irritations. Avenova has no damaging effect on tissues, and it causes none of the burning or stinging sensations caused by other products such as tea tree oil.
In fact, Mann Eye Institute recommends Avenova to patients undergoing cataract surgery for use before their procedures, as patients have a reduced risk of infection when their eyelids are properly cleaned prior to surgery. Minimizing the risk of infection before cataract surgery is critical. Bacteria on the eyelids and eyelashes is common, yet few people are aware that it exists, as it usually causes no problem prior to surgery. After surgery, however, eyes are more susceptible to infections from bacteria, which is why Mann Eye has added the use of Avenova to their cataract preoperative protocol, greatly reducing the risk of postoperative complications.
Avenova also has benefits for patients who are not undergoing cataract surgery. Many bacterial eye infections can lead to chronic dry eye, which occurs when tears are not able to adequately lubricate the eyes. Dry eye becomes more common with age, but it can also occur as a result of chronic eye infections as well. Avenova helps alleviate the symptoms of chronic dry eye, which may include:
If you are suffering from red, swollen, itchy eyes, you may have a serious eyelid condition. Using Avenova daily can not only alleviate symptoms of eye irritation and infection but can also avoid the development of such conditions. Click here to schedule an appointment online or call 1-800-MY-VISION (698-4746) to find out more about your options with Avenova.
The Mann Eye Institute is a leading eye care facility with sixteen locations in Humble, West Humble, Houston, Central Austin, North Austin, Sugar Land, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Livingston, Bay City, Pearland, Baytown, Tomball and Cleveland, Texas. With various locations in the Houston and Austin areas we can provide the full continuum of care, including; designer eyewear and eye care needs, LASIK eye surgery, cataract surgery, premium lens implants and dry eye treatment options. If you are seeking expert eye doctors in Texas contact us today!
Pearland Office
10223 Broadway St., Ste. J
Pearland, TX 77584
(281) 971-9332
Spring Office
2616 FM 2920 Ste. I
Spring, TX 77388
(281) 353-8300
Tomball Office
14079 FM 2920
Tomball, TX 77377
(346) 701-4029
Katy Office
750 Westgreen Blvd.
Katy, TX 77450
(281) 392-3937
Humble - Deerbrook Office
9802 FM 1960 W, Ste. 110
Humble, Texas 77338
(281) 446-9333
Sugar Land Office
6424 E. Riverpark Dr.
Sugar Land, TX 77479
(713) 580-2525
Humble - S. Memorial Office
18850 S. Memorial Blvd.
Humble, TX 77338
(281) 446-7900
Livingston Office
1601 US-59 Loop North, Ste. 100
Livingston, Texas 77351
(936) 327-3937
Cleveland Office
429 West Southline
Cleveland, TX 77327
(281) 592-4343
Bay City Office
3612 Avenue F
Bay City, TX 77414
(979) 244-1450
Baytown Office
4750 East Freeway
Baytown, TX 77521
(281) 421-2020
South Austin Office
2600 Via Fortuna, Ste. 400
Austin, TX 78746
(512) 327-4123
North Austin Office
4314 W. Braker Lane Ste. 215
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 200-3937
Sun City Office
1530 Sun City Blvd., Ste. 150
Georgetown, TX 78633
(512) 327-3792
