The Best Dry Eye Treatment
For Owings Mills, Maryland
Don't let DRY Eyes Reduce the Quality of Your Life
Do your eyes often feel dry, scratchy, or irritated? You might be suffering from dry eye syndrome. This common condition happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly. Dry eyes can cause burning, stinging, redness, blurry vision, and discomfort.
Many things can lead to dry eyes, like:
- Getting older
- Hormonal changes
- Certain medications
- Environment (wind, smoke, dry air)
- Medical conditions (Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis)
If left untreated, dry eye syndrome can seriously impact your daily life. Simple activities like reading, using computers, or driving become uncomfortable. Over time, it can even damage your corneas, increase infection risk, and affect your vision.
That’s why it’s so important to get proper dry eye treatment in Owings Mills, MD from the Dry Eye Center of Maryland. As experts in dry eye care, they can diagnose the root cause and provide specialized treatments to relieve symptoms, heal your eyes, and improve your comfort and vision.
Don’t let dry eyes disrupt your life any longer. The Dry Eye Center of Maryland is dedicated to helping people just like you find lasting relief through comprehensive, personalized dry eye treatment in Owings Mills.
Dry Eye Specialists: Generations of Maryland Care
Located in Timonium, MD, the Dry Eye Center of Maryland is a leading specialty clinic dedicated to diagnosing, managing, and treating dry eye disease and related ocular surface conditions. Founded in 1975, this practice has been at the forefront of personalized, high-quality eye care for over four decades.
Under the experienced leadership of Dr. Benjamin E. Azman, O.D., the center offers cutting-edge diagnostic technologies and an array of advanced treatment options. Dr. Azman is a dry eye specialist trained at the prestigious State University of New York College of Optometry. With extensive experience in hospital settings like the Perry Point VA and a passion for helping dry eye sufferers, he has successfully treated thousands of patients.
The Dry Eye Center takes a comprehensive approach, carefully evaluating each patient’s unique condition through techniques like tear film analysis, meibography, and InflammaDry testing. This allows them to identify and address the root causes – whether meibomian gland dysfunction, aqueous deficiency, autoimmune disorders like Sjögren’s syndrome, or other factors. Tailored treatment plans may include artificial tears, medications, procedures like intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy or LipiFlow, and lifestyle guidance.
What truly sets this practice apart is their commitment to ongoing education, clinical research, and implementing the latest evidence-based therapies for optimal outcomes. The caring, attentive staff prioritizes patient education so individuals can actively participate in restoring ocular health and comfort. Whether treating mild cases or severe dry eye, the Dry Eye Center of Maryland offers hope through their unparalleled expertise.
Dry Eye Diagnosis and Evaluation: Gentle and Expert Care
At the Dry Eye Center of Maryland, patients undergo an incredibly thorough and multi-faceted evaluation process to accurately diagnose their dry eye condition and develop an effective personalized treatment plan.
The comprehensive medical dry eye examination begins with a review of the patient’s full health history, eye history, medications, environmental factors, and symptoms. This allows the doctors to identify potential causes and risk factors.
Next, the evaluation utilizes advanced diagnostic technologies to analyze every aspect of the patient’s tears and ocular surface health through quantitative and qualitative tests, including:
- Tear Film Analysis (e.g. tear osmolarity, InflammaDry, fluorescein dye)
- Meibography Imaging of Meibomian Glands
- Tear Outflow Evaluation
- Corneal Topography Mapping
- Specular Microscopy
- Corneal Pachymetry (thickness mapping)
- Lid, Lash, and Meibomian Gland Expression Evaluation
The team also employs their proprietary EyeBiometrics® system – a detailed analysis of over 20 data points related to the eyes’ optics, structures, visual performance, and more. This includes anterior/posterior corneal analysis, higher-order aberration measurements, tear meniscus evaluation and more.
By taking such a methodical, evidence-based approach using the latest technologies, the doctors can precisely pinpoint the underlying causes – whether aqueous deficiency, evaporative dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction, demodex, or other contributing factors.
With an accurate diagnosis established, the team can then create a customized treatment plan to provide relief and restore optimal ocular surface health and vision through procedures, therapies, and management strategies tailored to the patient’s specific condition.
Dry Eye Treatments in Owings Mills
At the Dry Eye Center of Maryland, our team utilizes the latest advanced therapies to comprehensively treat the full spectrum of dry eye diseases and ocular surface disorders. Depending on your specific condition and needs, your customized treatment plan may include one or more of the following options:
Artificial Tears/Lubricating Drops – For mild dry eye, preservative-free artificial tears and lubricating eye drops can provide symptom relief.
Prescription Medications – Drugs like Restasis, Xiidra, or corticosteroid drops may be prescribed to manage inflammation and promote tear production.
Thermal Pulsation (LipiFlow) – This in-office treatment applies warmth and massaging pressure to unblock clogged meibomian glands in evaporative dry eye/MGD.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) – IPL helps reduce dry eye inflammatory factors by applying therapeutic light to the skin around the eyes.
BlephEx – An in-office procedure that removes debris and bacterial biofilm from the eyelids to improve meibomian gland function.
Amniotic Membrane Therapy (AMT) – Placing an amniotic membrane like Prokera over the eye promotes healing of the ocular surface.
Punctal Occlusion – Procedures like inserting punctal plugs or cautery promote tear retention on the eye.
Scleral Lenses – Specialized large diameter gas permeable scleral lenses can provide liquid reservoir therapy for severe dry eye.
In advanced cases of ocular surface disease like Sjögren’s syndrome or Stevens-Johnson syndrome, the team offers innovative surgical treatments like thermocauterization and mucous membrane/salivary gland transplantation.
Their multi-pronged approach, incorporating therapies targeting inflammation, promoting tear production, and treating meibomian gland issues, enables comprehensive management of even the most complex dry eye cases. Regular follow-ups allow for treatment adjustments as needed.