Find Lasting Dry Eye Relief
Dry eye is more than just a temporary annoyance—it’s a chronic condition that can lead to vision changes, inflammation, and long-term corneal damage if left untreated.
At our National City Dry Eye Clinic, we specialize in identifying the root cause of your symptoms and offering advanced, in-office treatments beyond standard eye drops.
What is Dry Eye Syndrome?
Dry eye occurs when your eyes either don’t produce enough tears or produce poor-quality tears that evaporate too quickly. A disrupted tear film causes irritation, inflammation, and blurred vision.
Tears are essential to your eye’s health—they protect, nourish, and stabilize your vision. Without a balanced tear layer, your eyes become dry, inflamed, and more prone to damage.
Common Dry Eye Symptoms
You may have dry eye if you’re experiencing:
- Burning or stinging sensation in the eyes
- Redness and irritation
- Feeling like something is in your eye
- Blurry vision that improves with blinking
- Light sensitivity and eye fatigue
- Watery eyes (a response to dryness and irritation)
- Difficulty wearing contact lenses
What Causes Dry Eye?
Dry eye has many causes, and treatment should focus on the root issue. Common factors include:
- Aging & Hormonal Changes: Tear production naturally declines with age, particularly in postmenopausal women
- Screen Time & Digital Eye Strain: Staring at screens reduces blinking, leading to faster tear evaporation
- Autoimmune Conditions: Diseases like Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus can affect tear production
- Environmental Factors: Wind, smoke, air conditioning, and dry climates can worsen symptoms.
- Contact Lenses: Improper use can disrupt the tear film and cause irritation
- Medications: Antihistamines, antidepressants, and certain blood pressure medications can lead to decreased tear production
- Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD): Blocked oil glands in the eyelids prevent the tears from staying on the eye’s surface
Advanced Dry Eye Testing
At American Eye Associates, we do not believe in guesswork when it comes to dry eye treatment. Instead, we use thorough eye exams and cutting-edge diagnostic tools to pinpoint the exact problem affecting your eyes.
Osmolarity Testing: Measuring Tear Quality
One of the most advanced tests for dry eye, osmolarity testing measures the salt concentration in your tears. High osmolarity indicates tear film instability, one of the hallmarks of dry eye disease.
- Provides objective data about your tear composition
- Helps determine if you have aqueous-deficient or evaporative dry eye
- Allows for targeted treatment recommendations
By understanding the quality of your tears, we can create a personalized treatment plan to improve tear stability and eye comfort.
Treating the Root Cause of Dry Eye
Unlike over-the-counter eye drops that only offer temporary relief, our treatments target the underlying cause of your dry eye.
LipiFlow® for Natural Tear Production
For patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), the leading cause of evaporative dry eye, LipiFlow™ Thermal Pulsation offers a non-invasive solution to restore natural tear function.
- Uses gentle heat and pulsating massage to unblock meibomian glands
- Restores healthy oil flow to keep tears from evaporating too quickly
- FDA-approved, non-invasive, and performed in-office
- Most patients experience lasting relief within weeks
LipiFlow® helps fix dry eye at the source, allowing your eyes to produce tears more effectively and naturally.
Amniotic Membrane Therapy
For patients with severe dry eye, corneal damage, or chronic inflammation, amniotic membrane therapy is a regenerative treatment that helps the eye heal.
- Reduces inflammation and promotes healing of the corneal surface
- Improves overall tear film quality
- Encourages tissue regeneration and repair
- Safe, minimally invasive, and highly effective for advanced dry eye cases
Amniotic membrane therapy is an excellent option for patients who have not found relief with traditional treatments.