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Dry Eye

We are global experts in Dry Eye

Dry eye disease is very common, and occurs when your tears no longer lubricate your eyes properly and can be very uncomfortable for people with it, and it can be triggered by something as simple as sitting at a computer screen for a few hours.

However, there are several effective treatments for dry eye disease, and finding the right one for you is key to successful dry eye disease treatment.

There are several reasons why this can occur, but the consequences of long-term dry eye disease are inflammation and damage to the surface of your eyes – so it’s important to deal with dry eye sooner, rather than later, as it can severely impair your quality of life.

What’s more, ELZA is part of the TFOS committee, the entity defining the global dry eye treatment guidelines that all doctors should follow.

Need more info? The links on this page refer to ELZA pages (in English) with more detailed information on the topic.

Types of Dry Eye

Lipid deficiency

The most common reason for dry eye disease is lipid deficiency. Tears contain two components: aqueous (mostly water), and lipid. The lipid – or oily – part slows down the evaporation of tears, and helps lubricate the surface. The lipid part gets applied to the tear film on your eye every time you blink, as it is produced by small structures in your eyelids called meibomian glands, and squeezed out each time you blink.

What causes lipid-deficient dry eye disease?

The meibomian glands can sometimes get blocked (sometimes the oily lipids become more solid) and this means your tears evaporate far faster, which results in dry eye.

It’s worth noting that screen use – be it your smartphone, TV, or computer screen, reduces your blinking rate, meaning your eyes become less lubricated over time and therefore drier.

Aqueous deficiency

The aqueous – mostly water – part of your tears is made by the lacrimal glands above your eyes. If the lacrimal gland fails to produce enough tear fluid, it results in dry eye.

What causes aqueous deficient dry eye?

Again, there are several causes, which range from aging and contact lens wear to whole-body autoimmune diseases which as Sjögren syndrome, and many types of drugs can also cause aqueous deficiency – antihistamines, anti-depressants, cancer chemotherapy drugs, and so on.

Normal tear film
Resists evaporation for over 10 seconds

Morbid tear film
Breaks down after a few seconds (black spots)

How do I treat aqueous deficient dry eye?

Eyedrops that lubricate the eye and control the inflammation are typically the best way of controlling this form of dry eye disease, although there are several other interventions which can help, including punctal plugs (to reduce the rate at which tears drain away from the eyes) and even dietary supplements can help.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease?

  • Tired eyes
  • Stinging/ burning/ scratchy sensation in your eyes
  • Eye redness
  • Light sensitivity
  • Blurred vision
  • Mucus in or near your eyes Foreign body sensation
  • Wearing contact lenses feels uncomfortable
  • Difficulty driving at night
  • Watery eyes (in aqueous-deficient dry eye disease)

When to see a doctor

You can experience dry eyes in an acute setting, thanks to a trigger (like entering a room with air conditioning or taking a flight on an aircraft), but if the symptoms persist for a prolonged period, then you should take action.

ELZA – most modern diagnostics to examine Dry Eye

Tear meniscus

Tears get produced – but they also get drained into the tear duct. It’s a dynamic process, and it’s good to understand how quickly the tear film is being drained. The amount that’s being drained any given time can be determined by measuring the tear meniscus with a high-resolution camera.

Picture quality

We can determine the quality of the tear film with a Placido disk analysis. You look at concentric rings; a camera at the centre of the rings takes an image of what’s reflected back from the surface of the eye. The presence (or absence) of distortion in these rings provides information about the quality of the tear film.

Meibography

An analysis of the meibomian glands in the lid margin allows to determine the best therapy for you.
 

Tear film osmolarity

If you have a salt solution and boil off (evaporate away) all of the water, you generate an increasingly salty solution until only the salt is left. It’s the same with evaporative dry eye: the increasing saltiness (osmolarity) indicates the severity of dry eye.
 

BlephEx: in-depth lid margin cleaning

BlephEx therapy is an in-depth cleaning of the lid margin with a BlephEx device. This cleaning is done at the institute and takes about 20 minutes. In case of marked inflammation of the lid margins, this therapy should be performed twice a year.  
Read more…

IPL for Dry Eye (Eye-Light)

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy has been used in dermatology for decades now, but more recently, IPL has been shown to be an effective treatment for chronic dry eyes caused by MGD.

ELZA’s IPL for Dry Eye device is the Eye-Light. It works by focusing pulses of polychromatic light with wavelengths (500-1200 nm) into the meibomian glands. The light is absorbed by oxyhemoglobin present in the blood vessels which raises the temperature of the affected cells being illuminated, which melts the solidified oil blockages that prevent the production of healthy, refreshing tears.

Most patients find that this approach brings many benefits, as it reduces the need for lubricating eye drops, makes your eyes feel more comfortable, and as a consequence, your quality of vision will improve, too. In short, IPL should bring relief from dry eyes. Scientific publications have shown that 4 IPL treatments are needed initially, then switch over to a maintenance treatment every 3 to 6 months, depending on if and how quickly MGD might return.

LLLT – Low Level Laser Therapy

The IPL treatment is usually combined with LLLT, which stands for Low Level Laser Therapy. This treatment modality has been in clinical use in dentistry and dermatology for years. For treatment of the eyelids, laser light is emitted in the infrared range of the spectrum. This light gently warms the Meibomian glands in the depth of the eyelids, so that the sebum can evacuate from the clogged glands.
Read more…

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Augeninstitut ELZA
4.8
Based on 109 reviews
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mike
mike
09:02 04 Jan 23
Overall as a 50 year old, who wanted to continue to avoid wearing glasses and/or contact lenses, my goal was 100%... achieved with ELZA and Dr. Hafezi. I greatly appreciated the overall approach by Dr. Hafezi and his friendly and competent team in reviewing my vision at the start and following a comprehensive eye exam- the explanations of my options. For me I chose PRK in one eye for a monovision solution to correct short sightedness which was becoming more prevalent in night driving and sports such as skiing and cycling. PRK heals slowly but the outcome is worth the wait- and the cost- you use your eyes every waking moment- and for me I cannot see any reason not to pursue better vision with the ELZA team! A great quality of life enhancement!read more
Zuzana Fecko
Zuzana Fecko
21:48 31 Oct 22
Thank you so much, Dr. Torres and prof. Hafezi. 26 years I was only “dreaming” about the eye surgery due to possible... complications. I was worried ..Thank you for encouraging me to make a decision and thank you for your professionalism, explanations and great work!I wish you all the best, lots of success and only happy patients!read more
Serena Fazio
Serena Fazio
11:15 06 Mar 22
I have been to the ELZA clinic to have surgery for my miopy, as my eyes were rejecting the contacts and I was tired of... wearing glasses. From the first preliminary visit, to the actual surgery and post-surgery care Dr. Hafezi and all his collaborators have been extremely professional, considerate and helpful. All the steps of the (very short!) surgery were thoroughly explained to me in order to be as calm as possible, together with the medication plan and precautions to be aware of so that my eyes could heal in the best way possible. By following their exact instructions, the healing process has been very successful and smooth, and after about one week I was able to see perfectly. I absolutely recommend this team and their expertise!read more
Robin A
Robin A
11:43 16 Feb 22
Top experts and professional team. Highly recommended
Thunder Shiviah
Thunder Shiviah
14:05 23 Nov 21
After some research on local options I decided to go with ELZA since it stood out as the best. The operation and the... post-operation recovery went extremely smooth (something I was worried about with PRK). Now my vision is much better than I had hoped and I have no side effects such as dry eye or night vision problems. Thank you!read more
Thomas S.
Thomas S.
09:37 07 Jul 21
My left eye had to be operated on because of a cataract. As I had an Artiflex lens implanted a few years ago, it had to... be removed first before a modern lens could be implanted to correct the cataract. Prof. Hafezi treated me in an very competent and friendly manner. I am very happy with the result.read more
Selma A. Rahim
Selma A. Rahim
19:45 02 Jul 21
Dr. Hafezi.. the KING OF CXL🤴
Gianluca Ricci
Gianluca Ricci
12:46 10 Apr 21
Great team and service!
rehaneyecare
rehaneyecare
05:36 08 Apr 21
Excellent surgeon
Steven H.A
Steven H.A
16:13 11 Jan 21
Prof. F. Hafezi s expertise is enormous and he has a very pleasant and calm nature which gives the patient... security.Thank youread more
Online Commande
Online Commande
09:19 05 Dec 20
Totally creepy, very arrogant Prof.He just want your money.It may explain, why this Prof. is not in the center of the... city of Zürich and why he has been thrown away from University of Geneva.read more
Elena Churilova
Elena Churilova
10:06 17 Nov 20
At the moment, 3 months have passed since the moment I made laser vision correction in this clinic. and I can say that... I am happy that I chose this particular clinic and Prof. F. Hafezi. The entire staff of the clinic is very friendly, treats patients with sympathy and patience if they are nervous before surgery (my big gratitude to Aida Alili for all support and patience). The doctor Hafezi and other doctors of the clinic are very professional and ready to explain to you as many times as you need. I can only recommend!read more
Michele Aggiato
Michele Aggiato
18:17 10 Jan 20
The day I had Prof Hafezi checking my keratoconus I knew I was finally in the right place after years of searching for... a good ophthalmologist. Prof Hafezi recommended a surgery due to a drastic degeneration of my cornea. The surgery was performed by himself with the assistance of Dr Rodriguez, one more collaborator of Prof Hafezi’s team who got my full trust.read more
Ashley Faulkes
Ashley Faulkes
15:30 21 Mar 16
Professor Hafezi and the team at the ELZA Institute have done an amazing job of creating a first class eye clinic, with... cutting edge technology and support. I went there for a dry eye issue and other issues with my prescription, and they were easily able to help me and put me on the road to better vision! High recommend them to anyone in the Zurich/Aargau area.read more
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Augeninstitut ELZA
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