Dry Eye Assessments
If you are one of 17 million people in the UK with dry eye disease (one in three of the population!), then you may know the feeling of dry, sore, irritated or watery eyes. And it's a growing problem - a combination of lifestyle, diet and environment contribute to this increasing issue that affects millions everyday. All too often, those with dry eye are given inadequate advice & proper intervention - NHS options are limited, and prescribed drops do little to treat the root cause of dry eye disease. Luckily, Wessex Optical has years of experience in diagnosing and managing all types of dry eye.
Our Dry Eye Assessments are private, non-NHS funded examinations which allow for our clinicians to spend a full appointment focussing solely the cause of your dry eye. Costing only £65, we use top of the line equipment and expertise to best advise you as to how we can help you get back to feeling your best.
In addition to diagnosis and advice, we are also in a position to offer several types of dry eye treatment for long-term relief. We offer treatment for all types of dry eye – which is best for you is best established by a thorough initial assessment by one of our specialist Optometrists.
Depending on staffing, we can often provide same-day treatment following your initial assessment, putting you on the right track as swiftly as possible. All colleagues who undertake treatments are trained, General Optical Council registered professionals.
Removing Microbes
Sharing your body with microorganisms is just a fundamental of life - many have a role to play in our overall biology. Microbes especially love your eyes - they're the perfect environment for them to thrive. Unforunately for us humans, often the microbes that like to settle around the eyes can cause discomfort, redness and in some cases long term damage. Opportunistic microbes like Staphylcoccal Aureus, Seborrheoic Dermatitis and Demodex mites can often get out of control, and are a major cause of dry eye disease.
The best way to remove microbes is via in store treatment with specialised equipment. Your optometrist may recommend this to you following your assessment with us. You can find out more about the types of lid cleaning we offer by clicking the link.
Unblocking oil glands
Dozens of tiny glands along your eyelids are responsible for the quality of your tears, primarily due to their ability to produce oils for your tear film. These oils prevent tears from evapourating as readily.
Often, these glands become blocked, with their secretions turning from oil to something more solid, like butter. This prevents the oil from leaving the glands as readily, as well as causing general inflammation of the eyelids. The result is quickly evaporating tears, bringing about discomfort, redness, grittiness and wateriness.
The best way to unblock these glands is through in store treatment. We offer different types of treatment depending on the store you visit. You can find out more about the treatments we offer by clicking the link.
Available in Boots Opticians Lymington and Romsey, EyeLight a combined therapy of two types of light-based treatment used for blocked glands, aka MGD.
Available in Boots Opticians Wimborne only, Blephasteam is an professional electronic, heated mask that uses steam to melt down blocked glands, aka MGD.
Increasing tear quantity
As outlined above, having poorer quality tears (due to microbes or blocked glands) can be one way in which dry eye manifests, but having a reduced amount of tears can be an issue, too. This can be caused by certain medications, health conditions, or even without any apparent cause.
Historically, the solution has been "just drops", given that this type of dry eye is less modifiable than poorer quality of tears. These days, interventions in the form of punctal plugs, small devices used to decrease tear drainage (and therefore increase tear volume) can be used as a very effective solution to combat this form of dry eye.
You can find out more about this type of treatment by clicking the link.
Available in Boots Opticians Lymington, Romsey and Wimborne.
Interested in learning more, or booking a dry eye assessment?
Click the link to leave a message so one of the team can get back to you about the next steps.
Your dry eye may due to any of these issues, or potentially even a combination of the three.
Unsure which type of treatment would be best for you? We’re not expecting you to diagnose yourself! Our dry eye assessments allow our experts to give you a clear recommendation after a thorough assessment of your condition.
Any questions? Ready book in? You can contact us via our dedicated dry eye enquiry form above!