What is BlephEx?
BlephEx™ is a revolutionary patented hand piece, used to very precisely and carefully, spin a medical grade micro-sponge along the edge of your eyelids and lashes. This removes the scurf and debris found in moderate to severe blepharitis. It is an in-office procedure that is an important part of our dry eye protocol and can help exfoliate your eyelids. We often package the BlephEx™ procedure with a gland expression or IPL treatment to maximize relief of dry eyes. The BlephEx™ treatment is well tolerated and only takes a few minutes to perform. This often saves the patient hundreds of dollars in the costs of prescription drops and artificial tears.
What is Blepharitis?
Dry eyes are often accompanied with a condition called blepharitis or eyelid inflammation. Over 30% of patients being seen by an ophthalmologist suffer from blepharitis. This is a common cause of sore, red eyelids or crusty eyelashes. Blepharitis and dry eyes occur so often together that many professionals believe they are part of a single chronic eye problem called dry eye blepharitis syndrome (DEBS). Possible causes of blepharitis can include:
- Bacterial eyelid infection
- Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)
- Dry eyes
- Fungal eyelid infection
- Parasites (Demodex eyelash mites)
BlephEx™ Treatment
Our team is able to efficiently remove bacteria, biofilm and Demodex mites from your eyelids and open clogged meibomian glands. Properly performed, BlephEx™ will reduce or alleviate these chronic and debilitating symptoms. Treatments are typically repeated at regular monthly intervals depending on the severity of the disease. By eliminating the inflammatory etiology of blepharitis, the overall health of the eyelid is improved. Patients can then begin to produce more of their own tears and finally enjoy a life free from the chronic and irritating symptoms associated with blepharitis and its subsequent dry eye disease.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or have a history of chronic dry eyes, reach out to one of the specialists at the Dry Eye Center of South Tulsa so that we can give you a complete vision checkup for this common condition.
