What Is the OptiLight by Lumenis & How Can It Manage Your Dry Eye?
Dry eye disease is a widespread and common issue for up to 49 million Americans. This chronic condition can have a significant impact on your quality of life, causing a foreign body sensation in your eyes, pain, blurry vision, and dry or watery eyes. Untreated, it can even lead to further eye health complications.
Despite these constant detrimental effects on quality of life, many dry eye sufferers are not aware that they’re suffering from dry eye disease or that real treatments exist. Instead, they just live with the discomfort.
Through a comprehensive evaluation of your symptoms, our team at Paul Vision Institute works to understand the direct cause of your dry eye and recommend a personalized treatment plan to relieve your discomfort.
We’re proud to offer OptiLight by Lumenis to our patients, specially designed for dry eye management.
What Is OptiLight by Lumenis?
OptiLight by Lumenis is a light-based, non-invasive treatment done in the area below the eyes to manage dry eye. The first and only IPL FDA-approved for dry eye management.
The treatment is safe, gentle, and is backed by more than 20 clinical studies.
How Does It Work?
OptiLight uses precise pulses of light to reduce the inflammation that is typically associated with dry eye disease, improve tear break-up time, and increase meibomian gland functionality.
This application can significantly relieve dry eye indicators and has a multi-factorial effect, including:
- Increasing tear break-up time
- Reducing the amount of Demodex mites and bacteria living around your eyes
- Eliminating blood vessels that contribute to inflammation
- Improving meibomian gland functionality
What to Expect Before Your Treatment
Our team uses a variety of innovative techniques to understand the root cause of your dry eye, including measuring your tear production and quality and evaluating your eye surface. Once we have all the data we need, we create your personalized treatment plan, which may include OptiLight.
Try to schedule your treatment on a day where you know you won’t be exposed to too much sunlight in the following days. Arrive at your appointment with no makeup or lotion on your face. On the day of your appointment, you can expect to relax and settle into your gentle, spa-like treatment.
During Your Treatment
This treatment is fast and simple. During the treatment your doctor will apply a coupling gel on the treatment area and cover your eyes with shields.
As light is applied to the skin, you may experience a warm sensation. The treatment is gentle with minimum discomfort. The treatment itself will only take 10–15 minutes.
OptiLight is often followed by meibomian gland expression [depending on the doctor].
After Your Treatment
Following treatment, you can expect some symptom relief within 24–48 hours. You may experience some slight redness on the treatment area, and your skin will likely be sensitive to sun exposure. It’s vital that you wear proper sunscreen, especially given the beautiful sun we get here in Wilmington at Wrightsville Beach.
Part of Your Custom Treatment Plan
A course of treatment typically includes 4 sessions spaced 2–4 weeks apart.
OptiLight is just one of our many available treatment options to relieve your dry eye symptoms. Ask your doctor about all the other ways we can treat your specific dry eye.
Will the OptiLight by Lumenis Work for Me?
While OptiLight by Lumenis is an effective dry eye management solution, we want to make sure it’s right for you. We do not recommend this treatment if you:
- Suffer from aqueous deficiency dry eye (rather than evaporative dry eye or meibomian gland dysfunction)
- Have a history of keloid scarring
- Have severe scarring around your eyes
Ultimately, your doctor is the only person who can determine whether this option is right for you. During your next appointment, ask us if you are a good candidate for OptiLight by Lumenis.
You Don’t Have to Live With Dry Eye Anymore
Dry, irritated eyes can be managed with a new treatment that brings comfort and can restore quality of life. Visit your eye doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
