Dry Eyes Specialist
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Ophthalmology Consultants, PC
Laura Pallan, MD
Ophthalmologist & Laser Aesthetic Specialist Located in Moon Township, Pa
If you’re experiencing redness, burning, itching, scratchiness, tearing, fluctuating vision, or inability to comfortably wear your contact lenses, you may have dry eye disease. Laura Pallan, MD of Ophthalmology Consultants uses a variety of effective treatments to reduce your dry eye symptoms and restore your vision. She has an office conveniently located in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. Contact Ophthalmology Consultants today to schedule an appointment and discover solutions for your dry eye symptoms.
Dry Eyes Q & A
What is dry eye disease?
Your tears contain a balance of proteins, electrolytes, and vitamins important to the overall health of your eyes. Tears act as a natural lubricant for the surface of your eyes, keep your vision clear, and wash away dust and other foreign debris. The tear layer also helps prevent bacterial eye infections.
When things work properly, tears are constantly produced in the lacrimal glands to nourish and protect the surface of your eyes. If your lacrimal glands don’t produce a sufficient quantity of tears on a regular basis or if the composition of your tears is out of balance, dry eye can result.
Inflammation of the surface of the eye also may occur with dry eye. If left untreated, this condition can lead to pain, ulcers, or scars on the cornea, and some loss of vision. However, permanent loss of vision from dry eye is uncommon.
Dry eye can make it more difficult to use a computer or read for an extended period of time. It also may decrease tolerance for dry environments and may explain why your eyes react when you turn on the furnace in the winter and use the air conditioner in the summer.
What causes dry eye disease?
Dry eye can be a long-term condition or a temporary issue related to a multitude of factors, including:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Aging
- Allergies
- Certain medications
- Frequent use of computer screens, tablets, cellphones
What are the treatments for dry eye disease?
After an eye exam, Dr. Pallan may suggest further tests to determine the extent and cause of your dry eyes, such as TearLab for salt concentration of the tears or InflammaDry® to look for markers of inflammation.
Depending on the nature of your dry eyes, she may recommend therapies that include:
- Good lid hygiene
- Frequent use of artificial tears
- Punctal plugs to keep your natural tears in the eyes
- Prescription drops such as Restasis® and Xiidra® to decrease inflammation
- Omega 3 fatty acids, which have shown to improve symptoms of dry eye
- Intense pulsed light therapy for dry eye symptoms and inflammation related to ocular rosacea
How is dry eye diagnosed?
Eye exam combined with sophisticated analysis of the composition of your tears. Samples of tears are analyzed for osmolarity (salt concentration) using TearLab and for inflammatory markers using InflammaDry. Positive tests confirm the need for prescription medication to help relieve dry eye disease.
Accepted Insurances
This is a list of the most common insurances accepted at Ophthalmology Consultants, PC. Please call the number on the back of your insurance cards to confirm if we accept your plan
