Find Relief from Chronic Dry Eyes

Tears are essential for maintaining your eye health and vision. They wash away debris, nourish your eye, and help your eyes focus light.

If there is an imbalance in the tear film, uncomfortable and irritating symptoms may result. While these symptoms can be bothersome, dry eyes can also lead to long-term complications if not treated.

We offer advanced diagnostics and treatment for dry eye and its underlying causes at Sun Valley Eye Care. Contact us today to learn more about how we can provide assistance and to schedule your comprehensive eye exam.

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Symptoms of Dry Eyes

Dry eye symptoms generally occur in both eyes and can include:

Stinging, burning, or scratchy eyes
Stringy mucus in or around your eyes
Sensitivity to light
Eye redness
Feeling like something is always in your eyes
Discomfort when wearing contact lenses
Difficulty seeing clearly while driving at night
Watery eyes (a response to irritated dry eyes)
Blurred vision
Eye fatigue

Causes of Dry Eyes

Dry eye is a complex condition that can be affected by factors such as the climate (particularly Calgary’s dry climate), medications, age, hormones, and systemic health conditions.

However, there are 2 main underlying issues: aqueous deficiency and evaporative dry eye.

Aqueous Deficiency

When your eyes produce too few tears, aqueous deficiency may be the cause. Accounting for only about a tenth of cases, aqueous deficiency is not as common as evaporative dry eye.

Evaporative Dry Eye

Evaporative dry eye may be caused by an imbalance in the tear film. The tear film is made up of 3 essential layers that contain components designed for specific purposes:

The oil layer keeps the eye’s surface smooth and prevents the other layers from evaporating.
The water layer hydrates the eyes, repels bacteria, and protects the cornea.
The mucus layer keeps the tear film adhered to the eyes.

Those experiencing evaporative dry eye may also have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). The meibomian glands are the tiny glands along the top and bottom edges of the eyelids that produce the oil layer of the tear film.

If the glands are unable to produce oil as a result of blockage or inflammation, your tears may disappear before they can fully moisturize the eye.

Diagnosing Dry Eyes

We use several tools at our advanced dry eye clinic to provide you with a thorough and accurate diagnosis.

Meibography is a type of photography developed specifically for directly observing the meibomian glands. This technique is non-invasive, can be completed in minutes, and is a useful tool for assessing whether these glands are playing a role in your dry eye.

Tear breakup time (TBUT) is an assessment tool used to assess any evaporative issues occurring with your tears. A dye is placed in the eyes and the tear film is observed through a slit lamp. The TBUT is the number of seconds it takes between the last blink and the appearance of the first dry spot in the tear film. Any time under 10 seconds is considered abnormal.

We may also conduct a tear chemistry assessment to test the makeup of your tears. This test tells us more about the composition of your tears, what is missing, and how we can best treat your condition.

Dry Eye Treatments

There are many reasons for the development of dry eye, but the best way to find a solution is to see your optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam and dry eye evaluation. Each cause of dry eyes requires a different treatment, and at Sun Valley Eye Care we offer an extensive range of treatment options. Our primary goal is to help you preserve your eyes natural ability to heal, to stay lubricated, and find comfort in our dry environment

Tripollar Radio Frequency Thermotherapy

Tripollar radiofrequency (RF) thermotherapy is an innovative skin treatment that can also effectively treat dry eye.

This technology uses focused energy to heat the surface and deep layers of your skin to treat problems areas on the face and body. The gentle heat encourages collagen and elastin production, resulting in tighter, smoother, younger-looking skin.

This same gentle heat can be applied safely to the delicate areas of the eyes to encourage meibomian gland production and improve the function and quality of tears.

Meibomian Gland Expression

The meibomian glands are the tiny glands in the eyelids that produce meibum, an essential component of the outermost layer of the tear film. Sometimes these glands become blocked, decreasing the amount of oil delivered to the surface of the eyes.

Meibomian gland expression is an in-office procedure that can unblock these glands, encouraging meibum production. This procedure follows RF therapy.

Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs are tiny silicone devices inserted into the tear ducts to prevent natural or artificial tears from draining too quickly, increasing the amount of tears that remain on the eye’s surface.

Specialized & Custom Eye Drops

Over-the-counter eye drops can provide temporary relief for mild dry eyes, but long-term use is not usually recommended.

We can provide specialized dry eye drops and custom eye drops designed to address your specific dry eye needs. We can discuss the extensive range of prescription, specialty, and custom eye drops available during your exam.

Visit Us Today

You can easily find our practice in the same building as the South Calgary Medical Clinic. Validated, accessible parking is available in front and beside the building.