Long Island LASIK Specialists

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• ROCKVILLE CENTRE
• LYNBROOK
• VALLEY STREAM
• MANHASSET
• EAST MEADOW
• PORT JEFFERSON
• MINEOLA
• INWOOD
• EAST SETAUKET

Long Island Dry Eye Specialists

The renowned Long Island dry eye team of OCLI specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease (DED). In fact, OCLI is an Accredited Dry Eye Center and directs Clinically Certified Laboratories for dry eye testing. We are a practice dedicated to providing the highest quality of dry eye care using advanced ophthalmic diagnostic techniques and treatments.

What is Dry Eye Disease?

Dry Eye Disease is a common condition affecting approximately 100 million people worldwide. In its mild to moderate forms, it can reduce the quality of vision and the ability to go about daily activities. In its more severe forms, dry eye disease can lead to permanent loss of vision.

Chronic dry eye is a disease that results from an imbalance in the composition of tears or the result of insufficient tear production. Eyelid problems, medications, and environmental factors can also lead to dry eye.

Eye requires a healthy flow of tears to provide lubrication and moisture for comfort and vision. Tears are composed of oils, mucus, antibodies, and water. This tear fluid is secreted by glands around the eye. When imbalance occurs, a person experiences dry eyes.

Dry eye symptoms may include pain, light sensitivity, itching, redness, and/or blurred vision. These symptoms may be compounded by other eye conditions or diseases a person may have and can be very uncomfortable. The ophthalmologists of OCLI specialize in diagnosis and treating dry eye, helping patients win relief from dry eye.

Dry Eye Testing

According to numerous peer-reviewed studies, tear osmolarity may be the single best test for the diagnosis of DED. Tear osmolarity is a key indicator of tear film quality and can, therefore, reveal the potential for and presence of aqueous deficient and/or evaporative dry eye disease. We utilize a diagnostic device that specifically assesses this marker and is extremely beneficial for both the diagnosis and management of DED.

The TearLab® Osmolarity Test for diagnosing dry eye disease is the first assay developed for the award-winning TearLab® Osmolarity System. The TearLab Osmolarity System is intended to measure the osmolarity of human tears to aid in the diagnosis of dry eye disease in conjunction with other methods of clinical evaluation. Using a novel lab-on-a-chip approach, the TearLab System requires less than 50 nL (nanoliters) of tear fluid and displays quantitative osmolarity results in less than 30 seconds. By requiring such a small amount of tears, the TearLab System eliminates the challenges that previously prevented point-of-care osmolarity testing. Assessment of tear osmolarity provides a quantitative analysis of tear osmolarity and can provide your doctor with a simple and accurate diagnostic tool that will allow us to monitor the effectiveness of your treatments over time. In addition, it is simple enough to be operated by a technician, greatly improving patient throughput either in an office or center setting.

OCLI now offers the TearLab® Osmolarity Test in all of our locations throughout Long Island. The test, used in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease, enables eye care practitioners to improve standard of care by objectively and quantitatively testing for disease markers in tears at the point-of-care. 

Dry Eye Treatment

Dry eye treatment depends on the severity of dry eye. Many people find relief after using artificial tears or similar eye drops that work to stimulate the action of tears. These treatments may only provide temporary relief.

However, new treatments are available through OCLI including RESTASIS Ophthalmic Emulsion, an FDA-approved prescription eye drop that helps the eye to produce more natural tears. RESTASIS may also work on the inflammation brought on by chronic dry eye to relieve it to enable greater tear production over time.

To learn more about RESTASIS and dry eye treatment, contact OCLI to schedule an appointment with our dry eye specialists.

The Long Island dry eye specialists of OCLI are also considered to be renowned Long Island glaucoma, LASIK, and cataract specialists. Learn more about these conditions and procedures by visiting our glaucoma, LASIK, and cataract pages.