Dry Eye Healing &

Therapy Clinic at ClearVue Eye Care

What is Dry Eye?

Dry Eye Syndrome, a condition that is part of a larger set of issues known as Ocular Surface Disease, is very common in Northern California.  Our heat, wind, low-humidity, and allergy prone region has created a near epidemic of dry eye.


We've been helping dry eye sufferers in our Roseville office since day one, but the technology we needed to address dry eye in a more comprehensive manner simply hasn't been available, until very recently.


We spent a year doing research and investing in training so that we could employ the safest and most effective dry eye treatment options available.

What Causes Dry Eye?

Dry eye is complex, multifactoral, & may be caused by:

  • Tear evaporation
  • Unbalanced chemistry of your tears
  • Environment and weather
  • Occupation
  • Diet
  • Side-effects of medication
  • Overuse of devices and screens
  • Contact lens wear (proper and improper)
  • Insufficient blinking (very common)
  • Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)

Experts estimate that 80% of dry eye is caused by Meibomian Glad Dysfunction, with a combination of at least one of the other factors.  MGD is an abnormality affecting the function and/or structure of the oil producing glands in your eyelids.  The oils secreted by this gland are critical to maintaining proper tear chemistry and function.  MGD is a chronic and obstructive dry eye disease that causes shortening and atrophy of the glands.  It's nearly irreversible.


Early diagnosis and treatment of dry eye and MGD is critical to arresting it's progress and aiding in the healing process.

Do I have Dry Eye?

Dry eye can be deceiving.  One of the most common symptoms of dry eye is excessive watering or tearing, which can seem very counter-intuitive.  Patients often say, "I don't have dry eyes - my eyes never stop watering."  


This is a common misconception regarding dry eye disease.  When our eyes are dry, they often water excessively in an effort to compensate for the dryness, but they never catch up.  They simply cannot produce the right kind of tears.  Other common dry eye symptoms that may accompany watery eyes or be present on their own include redness, grittiness, irritation, & fatigue.


Thankfully, we have numerous tools at our disposal, and can customize dry eye treatments based on both the cause and severity of your particular dry eye symptoms and root causes.

Alleviating Dry Eye

We've developed a comprehensive treatment protocol that allows us to address symptoms of dry eye and Ocular Surface Disease (OSD) from multiple angles.  With some patients we take a conservative approach, while with others we treat their dry eye with more aggressive treatments.  Some early interventions may include:

  • Lifestyle modifications
  • Active Treatment of the glands
  • Prescription eye drops
  • Hydration masks / Sleeping masks
  • Dietary Change, nutraceuticals, or supplements
  • Lid and ocular surface hygiene products and practices.

One common mistake many patients make in their attempts to self treat their dry eye symptoms is the use of over-the-counter eye drops.  Most of these drops contain bleaching agents, preservatives, and other drying agents that provide amazing relief for a few minutes to hours, but actually aggravate and perpetuate their dry eye causes, leaving them worse off every time they use them.


The first step to relief is to schedule a Dry Eye Evaluation.  Reach out us at techs@clearvue.org.


Treatment for Dry Eye

Sometimes, we have to be even more proactive in our treatment of dry eye - taking measures to release the beneficial oils that have stopped flowing from the meibomian glands.  In some cases, patients have such extensive gland loss that we must move directly to treatment as a first level approach, in order to prevent any further damage or progression of dry eye.


ClearVue has partnered with Lipiflow, a unique technology that safely and comfortably treats both the lower and upper meibomian glands of the eyelids.  This is a very safe procedure that takes about 15-20 minutes from beginning to end.  Most patients say the treatment is actually very relaxing.  It's a spa-like treatment for your eyes, with results that can have longer-lasting effects against progressive dry eye disease.

LipiFlow

LipiFlow is one of the most advanced dry eye treatment technologies available to eye care professionals.  LipiFlow uses a combination of mild heat and gentle massaging pressure to loosen and extract the precious oils that get trapped in the meibomian glands in our upper and lower eyelids.


Our goal with LipiFlow is preservation; keeping the good glands you have, and preventing further gland loss.  It's not a cure all, but rather a process of maintaining and preserving eye health for those who suffer from moderate to severe dry eye.


LipiFlow is safe and effective, and provides a pleasant and relaxing experience during treatment.  Many on our own staff have found favorable results from their LipiFlow treatments.

Let us help you with your Dry Eye.

We are thrilled with the results we've been seeing with our patients who suffer from dry eye...including many of our own doctors & staff.  We're confident we can find dry eye relief for you too.  If you've already had your annual eye health evaluation, here or elsewhere, a specific Dry Eye Evaluation would be the next step.

Call or email us to get started:   techs@clearvue.org or  916-786-2212, option 4