Close-up of young man applying eye drops to treat dry eye and irritation at home
Dry eye is a condition that impacts more than half of Americans, but can get misdiagnosed.
“Over the last year and a half, I've had significantly worsening, like, burning of my eyes, Itching, this gritty feeling, like there's something stuck in your eyes,” said Dr. Brian Rotskoff.
An allergist, Rotskoff knew allergies weren’t the cause of his discomfort and went to see optometrist Dr. Joanna Slusky, who diagnosed him with dry eye.
“Dry eye is a condition when we do not have adequate amount or quality of tears,” said Slusky, the founder of Halsted Eye Boutique.
Slusky uses a holistic approach with her parents, first recommending fish oil supplements, artificial tears, warm compresses and eyelid scrubs.
But when those measures didn’t provide enough relief for Rotskoff, she reached for an integrated approach of Radio Frequency (RF) and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments.
“Both Radio Frequency and IPL work very well synergistically to melt those oil glands and create better quality to your film while reducing inflammation,” Slusky said.
“I think by the fourth treatment of each was when I really noticed a dramatic improvement,” Rotskoff said.
Michelle Nava is another patient who went to see Slusky after looking for relief for her dry eye symptoms.
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“It progressively just got worse, where it was stinging, burning, watery eyes. When it would dry, the pain was just, you know, way worse,” Nava said.
While four sessions of each type of treatment are typically needed before patients experience results, Nava also suffers from rosacea, so she needed a total of six IPL treatments and four IPL treatments. But she says the impact on her dry eye is dramatic.
“It's not cheap. I mean, each treatment is like $500, but it was all worth it, because right now I don't need eyedrops anymore,” Nava said.
Dry eye symptoms, which typically impact both eyes, include:
- A stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes
- Stringy mucus in or around your eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Eye redness
- A sensation of having something in your eyes
- Difficulty wearing contact lenses
- Difficulty with nighttime driving
- Watery eyes, which is the body's response to the irritation of dry eyes
Slusky says anyone experiencing any of these symptoms should consult a professional.
“Instead of just guessing or reaching for the wrong eyedropper, it's really best to just go to a trusted eye doctor,” Slusky said.
The RF and IPL treatments often are not covered by medical insurance.
