Nashua Eye proudly introduces a new therapy for moderate to severe dry eyes. Intense Pulsed Light treats the oil, or meibum, that is secreted by eyelid glands. Healthy meibum, in turn, coats the tear film on the surface of the eye, allowing for a smoother, healthy eye surface. Nashua Eye is the first to offer IPL for dry eye in New Hampshire.
IPL was originally studied and designed as a treatment for dermatologic conditions such as rosacea. For years IPL has been used safely and effectively on facial skin. More recently IPL has been studied for the benefits of dry eye or ocular surface disease. Many dermatologic conditions share common features with an ocular surface disease, including unhealthy oils and inflammation. The same science that allows for light energy to improve skin disease is now used to treat dry eye.
An IPL treatment is performed by your Nashua Eye doctor in the office. It takes about 5 minutes to apply the light treatment. A shield is placed on the closed eyes. Light energy is applied to the skin under the eyes, as well as the skin extending to the temples. Patients describe the treatment as warm and painless. Some patients describe the sensation of an elastic pinging the skin. After the treatment, your doctor will gently express the oils from your eyelid glands. This is also painless and takes about 10 minutes. Some patients describe mild red eyes immediately after the treatment, as there is an inflammatory component to chronically blocked oil glands. Patients will then describe an almost immediate improvement to their dry eye symptoms. Improvement after one treatment may be transient. Most patients will benefit from one treatment per month for 3 or 4 months to achieve lasting improvement. This is followed by maintenance treatments every 6 or 12 months.
IPL is for patients who have moderate to severe dry eye. Some patients will find that IPL dry eye treatments allow them to reduce their other dry eye therapies, such as Restasis or oral doxycycline. Other patients find that IPL improves their symptoms in conjunction with their existing treatments. IPL is an extremely safe treatment with very little discomfort or risk to the eyes, especially in the hands of a trained, experienced eye doctor.
