Dry, Gritty, Watery or Burning Eyes?
Find out what's causing your dry eye.
Dry eye can have many causes, and finding the right treatment starts with understanding what is happening with your eyes.
At Docklands Eyecare, our comprehensive Dry Eye Assessment uses advanced diagnostic technology to assess your tear film, eyelids and meibomian glands, helping us identify the factors contributing to your symptoms and develop a personalised treatment plan.
Our Dry Eye Clinic
Our Dry Eye Clinic
Dry eye is a complex condition, and the right treatment depends on what is causing your symptoms.
Our experienced optometrists use specialised diagnostic imaging, including the Oculus Keratograph and meibography, to assess your tear film and meibomian glands in detail.
Once we understand the factors contributing to your dry eye, we'll explain our findings and develop a personalised treatment plan. This may include in-practice treatments and simple at-home care to help improve your symptoms and keep your eyes comfortable.
DRY EYE CLINIC - FAQ'S
What is Dry Eye?
Every time we blink, a complex layer of tears coats the surface of our eyes, keeping them comfortable, protecting them and helping maintain clear vision.
Dry Eye Disease occurs when the eyes don't produce enough tears, the tears evaporate too quickly, or the tear film isn't functioning properly.
One of the most common causes is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), where the tiny oil-producing glands in the eyelids don't function effectively. This can cause tears to evaporate too quickly, leading to dry, irritated or even watery eyes.
What Causes Dry Eye?
There are many possible causes and contributing factors, including:
- Age
- Certain medications and medical conditions
- Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)
- Eyelid conditions
- Prolonged screen use
- Contact lens wear
- Previous laser eye surgery
- Windy, smoky, air-conditioned or dry environments
Often, more than one factor is involved.
What are the symptoms
Dry Eye doesn't always feel dry. Common symptoms include:
- Burning or stinging
- Gritty or sandy feeling
- Watery eyes
- Red or irritated eyes
- Intermittent or fluctuating blurry vision
- Tired or uncomfortable eyes
- Difficulty wearing contact lenses comfortably
How do we diagnose Dry Eye?
The first step is a comprehensive Dry Eye Assessment.
We use specialised diagnostic technology, including our Oculus Keratograph, to assess your tear film and meibomian glands. Meibography allows us to image the glands within your eyelids, while tear-film testing helps us understand how well your tears are protecting the surface of your eyes.
Together with your symptoms and clinical examination, these findings help us determine the factors contributing to your dry eye.
How is Dry Eye Treated?
Because there are different causes of Dry Eye, treatment needs to be tailored to your individual eyes.
After your assessment, your optometrist will explain the findings and recommend a personalised management plan. This may include at-home treatments, specialised eye care products, prescription treatment where appropriate, or in-practice therapies such as heat therapy, IPL and Low Level Light Therapy.
What should I do next?
IIf dry, gritty, burning or watery eyes are bothering you, book a Dry Eye Assessment and let us investigate what's causing your symptoms.
Dry Eye Clinic
Advanced Dry Eye Diagnosis and Treatment
Dry eye is different for everyone. Once we understand what's contributing to your symptoms, we can recommend treatment based on your individual findings.
Our Dry Eye Clinic combines advanced diagnostic imaging with a range of treatment options to help improve tear quality, meibomian gland function and eye comfort.
Oculus Keratograph
A closer look at what's causing your dry eye
The Oculus Keratograph allows us to examine your tear film and ocular surface in detail, helping identify the factors contributing to your dry eye symptoms.
It can assess tear-film stability and provide detailed meibography images of the oil-producing glands within your eyelids.
These findings help your optometrist develop a treatment plan specifically for your eyes.
Dry Eye Spa
Our Dry Eye Spa uses Blephasteam therapeutic heat to gently warm the eyelids and soften thickened oils within the meibomian glands.
This allows your optometrist to express the glands where appropriate, helping improve the flow and quality of the oils that protect your tears from evaporating too quickly.
Dry Eye Spa treatment may be recommended for patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction as part of their personalised dry eye treatment plan.
IPL & LLLT for Dry Eye
Treating Both Upper and Lower Eyelids
For patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, we offer combined Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) using the Eye-Light system.
IPL uses controlled pulses of light around the lower eyelid area to help improve meibomian gland function and reduce inflammation associated with dry eye.
What makes our treatment different is the addition of Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT). The Eye-Light mask delivers therapeutic light across both the upper and lower eyelids, allowing us to treat the meibomian gland area more comprehensively than IPL treatment to the lower eyelid region alone.
Used together, IPL and LLLT provide a combined approach to managing Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and improving tear-film quality and eye comfort.
Treatment is recommended following a Dry Eye Assessment and tailored to your individual findings.
