Dry eye disease affects millions of Americans and is one of the most common reasons people visit their eye care professional. The Hawaiian Eye Center announced the opening of their Dry Eye Clinics on both Oahu and the Big Island, offering the most advanced treatments to the many local residents who suffer from dry eye disease. Hawaiian Eye was recently one of the first in the state to introduce LipiFlow — the leading in-office diagnostic and treatment system for evaporative dry eye.
“Dry eye disease often goes undiagnosed and can really complicate a person’s daily activities,” said Christopher Tortora, M.D., medical director of the Hawaiian Eye Center. “Discomfort and pain from dry eye can lead to ulcers, scarring of the cornea, and even vision loss if left untreated. My colleague Dr. Steven Rhee and I wanted to offer all the advanced techniques we provide to help people across the state by reaching out to local doctors and letting them know of our services.”
Symptoms of dry eye include itchiness, burning, dryness, soreness, irritation, redness, grittiness and eye fatigue. Tearing and blurring when using the computer or when air is blowing on the eyes are also other common symptoms.
The Dry Eye Clinics will offer the following services:
- TearLab osmolarity testing: Rapid test that quickly and easily screens patients for high tear osmolarity — high levels of salt content in the tear film of the eye — which is an indicator of dry eye disease.
- Meibomium gland expression and assessment: Combination of examination techniques and diagnostic testing are used to differentiate between meibomian gland disease and aqueous deficiency dry eye — lack of the oily vs. watery component of the tear film — so that an appropriate treatment plan can be administered.
- LipiView diagnostic testing by Tear Science: High resolution imaging offers the most comprehensive test available to assess tear film, allowing for specific diagnoses from poor blink to poor quality meibomian secretions.
- LipiFlow therapeutic procedure by Tear Science: Patients who suffer from evaporative dry eye disease have localized heat therapy and gentle pressure applied to the eyelids in a short 12 minute treatment, which helps to unclog meibomian oil glands and improve tear quality and overall eye comfort.
“The diagnostic testing and treatments we are able to provide at Hawaiian Eye Center’s Dry Eye Clinics are state-of-the-art,” said Dr. Tortora. “We’re excited to open our doors to patients on Oahu and the Big Island who want to find relief from dry eye disease.”
Dr. Tortora, a board certified ophthalmologist, is host of “The Hawaiian Eye Show,” a weekly informational radio program about healthy vision. He and his colleagues at the Hawaiian Eye Center are committed to educating the public about the importance of preventative eye care. To learn more about a variety of eye health issues, please call the Hawaiian Eye Center at 621-8448 or visit www.HawaiianEye.com and www.Facebook.com/HawaiianEyeCenter, where “life has never looked better.”