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Blepharitis

Blepharitis

Blepharitis occurs when something (usually chronic inflammation) causes the meibomian glands become clogged. Less oil is contributed to the tear film, meaning that the tear film evaporates more rapidly, rendering the surface of the eye drier.

When any fluid evaporates, it reduces the temperature of the surface it was on very slightly – and the cornea actually has nerves that can detect these small temperature changes. What happens next is that your body responds by telling the lacrimal gland to produce more tear fluid. This means, paradoxically, that you can have “watering” eyes because of dry eye!

Stages of Blepharitis

In early stages, “plugs” appear on the edge of the eyelid which block the openings of the sebaceous glands. In this case, a simple mechanical cleaning can be effective.

However, if the inflammation of the eyelid margin is not treated for years, the eyelid will change anatomically. The edge of the eyelid becomes increasingly rounded and is no longer able to distribute the tear film on the surface of the eye, similar to a windscreen wiper with gaps on the Windshield.

More and more symptoms like burning and biting and also blurred vision will develop

Rare reasons for a dry eye

In addition, systemic diseases such as psoriasis (rosacea), diabetes, polyarthritis, lupus erythematosus and Sjögren syndrome can cause dry eyes. Hormonal changes (such as those caused by hormone replacement therapy during menopause and contraceptive pills) are also a potential cause of dry eye syndrome. Other chronic inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can lead to a dry eye, because of the strong diarrhea and nutrient malabsorption.

Quality of life

Dry eye is not an immediate danger to vision  – almost nobody will go blind thanks to it. But in most cases, it degrades people’s quality of life, often greatly.

The symptoms in the dry eye are varied and range from mild to massive: eye burning and biting, blurred vision, double vision, and headache, and unfortunately a lot of modern life can exacerbate this, as these symptoms typically occur more frequently after prolonged computer work, television viewing, and reading (be it a tablet, smartphone, or even an old-fashioned book).

TV interview on the causes of dry eye

Office-based professionals and contact lens wearers

One of the most common reasons for people to visit an ophthalmologist is for dry eye treatment. Many professionals sit in front of computer screens for most of their working day. Most office spaces have air conditioning. Screen use decreases your rate at which you blink; air conditioning dehydrates you. Either circumstance can cause dry eyes; but the combination really increases the chances of you having “Dry Eye Syndrome” (DES). Sometimes it’s called “Computer Vision Syndrome”, “Office Eye”, or is just described as “tired eyes”.

Contact lens wearers often develop DES after a few years of wearing the lenses (especially soft contact lenses), and shift workers and night workers commonly develop DES, as tear film production (the natural lubricant of the eye) is affected by circadian (day/night) rhythms – at night, less tear film is produced. Finally, tear film production decreases as people age, to the point that a significant proportion of people aged 65 years or older have DES (although people of all ages can be affected).

The good news is that your dry eyes can be treated – and there’s more that can be done that just offering lubricating eyedrops.

In Switzerland, it’s reported that 600,000 people have been officially diagnosed with DES – but it’s likely that the true number is much higher thanks to unreported cases – people who live with DES, but haven’t asked for help.

Contact Lenses

Night Work

Dry eyes generally affect people of all ages, with an accumulation of the following populations:

  • Contact lens wearers (especially in wearers of soft contact lenses)
  • Professionals who work a lot on computers and / or are often in air-conditioned rooms
  • Older people (> 65 years)
  • Night workers / shiftworkers, as tear production is closely linked to the day-night rhythm.
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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
4.8
Based on 109 reviews
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