Dry Eye Care: Don’t Let It Go Untreated

There’s no way around it: dry eyes are uncomfortable and inconvenient. Not only are they a hurdle for seeing clearly, but secondary symptoms can also include red or gritty eyes as well as light sensitivity. With the complex ecosystem of the eyes, leaving dry eye symptoms untreated can have consequences. Luckily, the best relief for dry eyes can be found with a deeper understanding of Dry Eye Disease.

Understanding Dry Eye Disease

Before you can treat your dry eyes, it’s necessary to understand what dry eyes actually mean. Knowing the root cause allows you to treat this chronic medical condition at the cause rather than simply alleviating symptoms temporarily. 

First – dry eyes are often a chronic medical condition called Dry Eye Disease (DED). Dry Eye Disease has two variations; the somewhat rare “aqueous-deficient” Dry Eye Disease and the more common “evaporative” Dry Eye Disease. While aqueous-deficient Dry Eye Disease results from an inability to produce enough tear fluid, evaporative dry eye disease is caused by the absence of critical oil (meibum) that helps your eyes lock in moisture. The lack of adequate protective oil allows tears to evaporate too quickly. 

What Causes Dry Eye Disease

For your tear fluid to act as a containment layer, it needs to fully cover the eyes. When tears are too thin or too thick, they provide inconsistent coverage of the eyes. The significant difference in deficiencies for the two variations comes from their respective glands. The lacrimal glands produce tear fluids and relate to Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye Disease. The Meibomian glands in our eyelids produce the meibum oil that is the focus of  Evaporative Dry Eye Disease, which is also known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). MGD accounts for over 85% of cases of all Dry Eye Disease. 

For Evaporative Dry Eye Disease, there’s a single clear cause: blockages of the Meibomian Glands. Since Evaporative DED is more common, starting treatment for MGD can be a simple first step to provide relief from dry eyes. 

Consequences For Prolonged Dry Eye Disease

Untreated Dry Eye Disease isn’t just a matter of bearing through symptoms – accumulated clogs and long periods without sufficient ocular protection can lead to severe issues that can significantly impact vision and quality of life. 

Loss of Vision

Your best vision depends on consistent tear film coverage of the eyes. When your Meibomian glands are clogged, it can lead to thin pockets or “holes” in the oil that protects your tear film from evaporation. Your eyes are built to interpret light refractions that pass specifically through the tear film layer. When light passes through areas where the tear film has evaporated too quickly, this can create blurry or lowered vision. The sharp division in areas where the tear film holds strong versus where evaporation has accelerated creates a disconnect in processed vision, degrading the quality of sight or blurring vision significantly; negatively impacting or preventing daily activities.

The scans above show the eyes before and after using EverTears®.  In the top row “Before”, the tear film layer evaporates quickly in areas affected by MGD, which are indicated by the red and orange areas. The scans in the second row display a fuller tear film layer where the eyes retain their natural moisture, experiencing less evaporation since starting their EverTears® treatment. 

Caring For Your Eyes

Taking care of the glands mentioned above is essential to taking good care of your vision and ocular health. Your Meibomian glands benefit directly from a well-structured cleaning routine. 

To prevent and alleviate dry eye symptoms, it is important to use a two-pronged approach: regular application of moist heat and eyelid hygiene. For treating MGD, this targets the root cause: a clog or blockage of the meibum in the Meibomian glands. When the meibum oil is blocked, it coagulates and gathers in the glands. Moist heat at the precise temperature melts the solidified oil and helps to dislodge dried blockages. When the meibum oil flows properly, it covers and protects the tear film and changes the composition of tears in a way that allows you to retain more of your natural tear moisture to lubricate and shield the eyes. With the meibum oil, tears are slower to evaporate and contain moisture more effectively.   

The moisture can temporarily soothe dry eyes and clear the blockages. Traditionally, this one-two combo has been effective with a warm compress. However, a compress isn’t always an option. When compared to the best product for dry eyes: EverTears®, a compress lacks the convenience and sophistication that can bring true alleviation.

For clinically proven dry eye relief, EverTears® treats the root cause of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction that can lead to Evaporative DED. With instant self-heating, sterile pads, EverTears® can effortlessly unblock, collect and wipe away debris while creating an environment rich in moisture and free from pain. 

Adding EverTears® is an essential part of a daily regimen for anyone with dry eyes as both remedy and prevention, so that dry eyes don’t go untreated. EverTears® works to address blockages to the Meibomian Glands to ensure that your eyes retain more of your NATURAL tears instead of being forced to constantly use “artificial tears” or drops. This means that the essential elements of your tears are contributing to the health of your eyes to keep discomfort at a minimum and vision at optimal performance.