IPL vs. Lipiflow: What’s the Difference?

Different Dry Eye Remedies for Certain Conditions

Dry eye disease is an uncomfortable and often chronic condition affecting many people in the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, there are ways we can slow the progression of the disease and alleviate symptoms of dry eyes. Innovative techniques like intense pulsed light (IPL) and LipiFlow can address dry eye symptoms at their source.

Lipiflow uses gentle heat that is applied to the internal eyelids and combined with thermal pulsation. This combination gently and safely massages the eyelids, allowing oil to secrete freely from the glands. The oil layer helps prevent your tears from evaporating too quickly and makes your tears move easier across your eyes. 

IPL applies precise pulses of light around the eye, which penetrate beneath the skin’s surface to target the meibomian glands. This treatment helps to reduce inflammation caused by dry eye disease, improve how long tears stay on your eyes, and increase meibomian gland functionality.

Both treatments can be effective solutions for chronic dry eye problems. With our expertise in treating dry eyes, we can help you determine which is right for you based on the cause of your symptoms, your personal eye health, and your lifestyle.

What Causes Dry Eyes?

Underneath the surface of your skin, you have several small glands that secrete different oils. In your eyes, the meibomian glands secrete oil into the tears, which helps stop your tears from evaporating too quickly.

Meibomian glands are so important. In fact, people with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) account for 85% of all dry eye patients. Once the glands experience dysfunction, other dry eye issues may begin to cascade.
 

The Good News

Thankfully, meibomian gland dysfunction can be treated using innovative techniques. With more than 70% of Americans over the age of 60 exhibiting symptoms of dry eye and MGD, we’re happy to offer proven solutions to reduce the discomforts associated with the disease.

LipiFlow for Dry Eyes

At Specialty Eye, we have tripled the amount of healthy, functioning glands of many of our patients using the Lipiflow dry eye treatment.

Lipiflow is a comfortable procedure that only takes around 15 minutes to complete. Some patients with more advanced dry eye may need treatment every 6–12 months, but others can go longer in between treatments.
 

IPL for Dry Eyes

Another issue some patients with dry eye encounter is the growth of irregular blood vessels, which cause inflammation in the eyes. These blood vessels are similar to spider veins, and are considered abnormal. They occur frequently in patients who have meibomian gland dysfunction. Additionally, the weakened vessels often correlate to inflammation that causes tears to become imbalanced.

Intense pulsed light (IPL) can be used to reduce inflammatory feeder blood vessels and decrease the overall inflammation that affects tears.

OptiLight by Lumenis is the first FDA-approved IPL treatment for dry eyes. Specialty Eye is proud to be among the first eye care practices to offer this innovative treatment in the Pacific Northwest.

Because of its multi-factorial effect, IPL can treat dry eyes and a range of additional issues like discomfort and pain caused by inflammation and the buildup of Demodex (a type of mite that can live in the eyelids and eyelashes) and bacteria.

Which Treatment Do I Need?

Some patients may only experience obstruction in their meibomian glands, and may respond well to either the LipiFlow or IPL treatment option. Others have inflammation around their eyes and in their blood vessels, but the oils in their glands flow well. Some may experience both issues at the same time. 

Because no 2 people are the same, the type of treatment that works best for you may be different than the one that works best for someone else. We are skilled at determining the cause of dry eye disease and recommending a treatment that can alleviate your uncomfortable symptoms. 

You Deserve Relief from Your Symptoms

IPL and LipiFlow are only 2 of the treatments for dry eye offered at Specialty Eye.

Our staff pride themselves on searching for the right solution for you and helping you attain clear, comfortable vision. To learn more about our other options for alleviating your chronic and acute dry eyes, please visit our Dry Eye Therapy page. If you are experiencing any discomfort caused by dry eyes, please book an appointment to meet with us. We are ready to help you find your remedy.