Meet IPL: An In-Office Treatment for Dry Eye

IPL is the abbreviation for Intense Pulsed Light. This type of treatment has historically been used mainly in dermatology, but it has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of dry eye disease!

A quick refresher on dry eye:   Dry eye disease (DED) affects approximately 16.4 million Americans based on recent studies. Symptoms of dry eyes can include watery eyes, sensitivity to light, a burning sensation in the eyes, eye grittiness, as well as blurred and fluctuating vision.

And one more quick refresher for tears: Our eyelids have little oil glands called meibomian glands which produce meibum oil that mixes with our tears. Not all tears are the same! The tears that we produce when we are crying have a much higher salt content than our regular tears and far less meibum oil. We need our regular tears to have enough meibum oil mixed in to keep the tears from evaporating off of our eyes too quickly.

Specifically there is only one IPL device that has been approved for treatment of dry eye by the FDA and that is Lumenis Stellar M22, or as we like to call it, “Stella”.

Stella treats DED using intense light therapy to penetrate through the skin of the eyelid to the meibomian glands, causing any oil build-up to break down rapidly, making it easier for Dr. Bradbury to express the glands. This also ensures that there are no blockages preventing the extremely important meibum oil from combining with your tears to create the quality tears you need. If a meibomian gland becomes blocked, it can cause permanent damage to the gland and it will not continue to produce oil. That’s why it’s so important to keep the glands clear of any blockages, which is one of the leading causes of DED.

An IPL treatment for dry eye takes only a few minutes to perform, and it is recommended to have 3-4 treatments over the course of several weeks to complete a full treatment plan.

If you would like additional information regarding IPL treatments or to schedule, please contact us at (336) 701-6460!

What Makes A Proper View Unique

Striving to be Winston-Salem’s Best Eye Doctor & Eyeglasses Shop

First things first: there are a lot of great eye doctors and opticals out there. We all do a lot of the same things. We give eye exams, treat medical eye issues and fit you in new glasses and contact lenses. However, how we go about doing those things is what makes each office or shop unique.

At A Proper View, we want each and every person who walks through our door to feel like they have our complete focus (pun intended) and that they are the center of our universe. From the moment you walk in and are greeted by a member of our team, including our office dog Watson, we want to offer the absolute best experience you’ve encountered when having your eyes examined or picking out new glasses.

Our eye exams are as thorough as they come, with ample time given to ensure we offer the best prescription and personalized vision solution to each of our patients. We also check every patient for eye conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts and dry eyes, as well as for signs of systemic issues that may initially present with changes in the eyes like high blood pressure and diabetes. And the best news? We do all of this without putting you through the dreaded ‘puff test’!

Our favorite aspect of what we do? Helping you pick out your next set of glasses! From the start, we’ve worked hard to offer a unique collection of eyeglasses and sunglasses designed to fit just about every face shape and personality! We work with only independent companies who are focused on combining the best in craftsmanship and style. When you step in our doors, there’s no need to worry about walking out with a pair of glasses you’ll regret. Our job is to make you look good AND see good!

When the time comes for your next eye exam, or you’re looking for your next set of glasses, ask yourself if you’re being ‘wow’ed by your current experience. If your answer is no, pick up your next set of glasses or have your next eye exam at A Proper View. We promise you’ll leave knowing what makes us unique.