Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL)

The IPL treatment for dye eye syndrome is a painless and in-office procedure that treats the underlying condition

Take the Dry Eye Quiz to find out if you suffer from dry eyes

Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy is a treatment which can be used to effectively treat the underlying causes of dry eye syndrome.

What is IPL, and How Does it Work?

IPL therapy is a painless, in-office treatment which treats the underlying cause of dye eye syndrome

The procedure involved gentle light pulses being delivered to the skin adjacent to the eyes. This serves to reduce inflammation in the area, and eliminate bacterial infections. The light pulses also melt the secretions on the eyelids, release oil that may have built up, and unclog the meibomian glands.

It helps ensure the oil resumes proper flow of oil into the tears, which ensures they don’t evaporate too quickly, and thus relieve dry eye symptoms.

What is IPL Treatment Like?

At the start of your IPL treatment, the doctor will place eye shields over your eyes to protect them from the light pulses. Following this, a thin layer of cooling gel will be put onto the skin around the eyes, since it is also a sensitive area.

The procedure itself involves the doctor holding a small device over the eyelids, which emits pulses of light. The heat from these causes the secretions blocking the meibomian glands to melt.

Once the procedure is completed, the doctor may express the glands to stimulate normal oil flow and make sure the procedure did what it was supposed to do.

What to Expect Following Treatment

In many cases, patients will see a noticeable improvement in their dry eye symptoms after just one or two IPL treatments. However, it is still recommended to come back for monthly treatments over a four month timespan in order to make sure you get the best possible results.

In particularly severe cases, the doctor may recommend additional treatments to ensure that healthy meibomian gland function is maintained and the condition does not return. Sometimes, the doctor will recommend another form of treatment in addition to IPL to achieve the best results.

When Should You Seek Out IPL Therapy?

If you are suffering from chronic dry eye, and it is negatively affecting your quality of life, your doctor may recommend IPL therapy to you, as a treatment designed to provide long lasting relief, as opposed to other treatment options such as artificial tears and warm compresses, which only provide short term symptom relief.