Thermal One Touch: A New Dry Eye Treatment for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
We are delighted to announce the expansion of our Dry Eye Center at Village Eyecare, with new technology being brought on to use towards the treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), as well as other causes of Dry Eye.
About Thermal 1-Touch
The Thermal 1-Touch device allows treatment of obstructed meibomian glands by heating the eyelid surfaces and applying a pulsating force to express the glands. “The only way to treat Meibomian Gland disease is to get the glands working again,” our co-owner and Lead OD Dr. Sood says. “The glands need to be expressed, as they have been blocked and are not functioning.”
Manual expression works to some extent, she says, but heating the glands makes for the best results. “Thermal 1-Touch is a procedure that places a device onto the eye, heats the glands to 108-110°, and expresses the glands, therefore allowing the glands to function again.”
Almost 90% of patients who have dry eye have primary or contributory Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Every time we blink, we express the glands. Being able to measure the thickness of the lipid layer and the completeness of the blink is extremely important in order to treat properly.
This treatment is the newest, greenest, most affordable and most comfortable option presently available to treat Dry Eye and MGD. We are so eager to begin implementing this new technology to further provide our patients with the highest level of care on the market!
Thermal 1-Touch Post Treatment Kit
A Dry Eye Care Kit is prescribed to patients who receive the Thermal 1-Touch treatment, or other Dry Eye treatments, in our offices. The kit includes: Ocusoft Dry Eye Mask, Retaine OM3, Retaine MGD, Ocusoft Lid Scrub Plus Pads 30 CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I know that I have Dry Eye?
A: There are many symptoms that you may experience if you have Dry Eyes. Some of them are dryness, scratchiness, grittiness, sandiness, watering, blurriness,
Q: Why do we experience Dry Eye?
A: Dry Eye is a symptom arising from a larger issue. There are a number of reasons you could have Dry Eyes. They include: your eyes are not producing enough lipid, liquid, or inflammation.
Q: But my eyes don’t feel dry…
A: You don’t necessarily need to feel like your eyes are “dry” to have Dry Eyes, or MGD. Other symptoms include feeling scratchiness, grittiness, sandiness, watering, blurriness, etc.
Q: What are the risk factors to having Dry Eye?
A: Some of the risk factors to having Dry Eye are: high usage of digital screens, autoimmune diseases, diabetes,
Q: Isn’t using Visine or other OTC eye drops enough?
A: Visine, and other OTC eye drops like them, are not a good option to treat dry eyes. These types of eye drops are a tool used to MASK dry eye symptoms, but not to treat. In fact, Visine products can create a rebound effect causing further redness and dryness. We now have better tools to identify the underlying cause and how we can treat it.
Q: What if I don’t treat my Dry Eye? Will it get worse?
A: Dry eye is a chronic, progressive disease that affects the surface of the eye. Without treatments, the symptoms may ebb and flow, but there is likely progressive damage occurring to the front surface of your eye. If left untreated, dry eyes can become dangerous. Excessive dryness can scar the cornea, impairing vision and damaging the tissues. Significant dryness can lead to greater chance of infection, breakdown of the corneal barriers and perforation of the cornea.
Q: What is the cost for the Thermal 1-Touch treatment?
A: The cost for the Thermal 1-Touch treatment is $250. This package includes an at-home 1 month Dry Eye Care Kit, which includes the following: Dry Eye Mask, Retaine OM3, Retaine MGD, and a 30-day supply of Ocusoft Lid Scrub Plus Pads.
If you feel like you have exhausted all options when it comes to treating your Dry Eye or MGD, contact us to schedule a Dry Eye Evaluation to discuss our newest and most advanced Dry Eye treatment, the Thermal 1-touch.
