Dry Eyes
Tear Duct Plugs A Typical Dry Eye Syndrome Treatment
Understanding Dry Eye Syndrome
Many of our patients have accepted dry, itchy, and irritated eyes as a part of their normal life. Many are surprised to find out that dry eye is a real medical condition that requires treatment. Have you tried every brand of eye drops with no success? Accepted that contact lenses aren't for you? Here at Primary Eye Care Associates, we're passionate about providing real, effective solutions that address the root cause of your issues, allowing you to finally lead a normal life. We serve patients throughout Chicago, Midway, and Garfield Ridge.
Is Dry Eye Syndrome Common?
Dry Eyes Symptoms and Treatment
Dry eyes can create irritating symptoms like a scratchy, dry, sandy feeling in the eyes. Dr. Steven Chander will examine your symptoms and glands to determine the best treatment. Primary Eye Care Associates offers treatment for varying degrees of dry eyes and to eliminate your symptoms and help you live without irritation.
Benefits of Getting Professional Dry Eye Treatment
Long-Lasting Relief
We provide long-term relief that works. No more testing eye drops or enduring your symptoms with no end in sight. Since we treat the problem at its core, you can finally get some ongoing relief from itchy, red, and sensitive eyes.Improved Quality of Life
Dry eyes can impact your quality of life and ability to tend to daily activities, like driving, reading, or working on the computer. When you're constantly preoccupied with eye irritation, it's hard to focus on life.Improved Appearance
Irritated eyes that are red and watery can make you look tired, affecting your appearance and confidence. With treatment, you can meet new people and give presentations at work without worrying about how your eyes look.Comprehensive Approach
We look at your case as a whole. We use a personalized approach and consider your lifestyle, environment, and overall health to identify every possible factor contributing to your dry eye symptoms.Committed to Providing High-Quality Eye Care
We're not your typical eye doctor's office. We're a comprehensive eye center that offers advanced technology and years of expertise to optimize your vision and comfort. Dr. Chander performs the appropriate diagnostic tests to pinpoint the cause of your condition and determine the best treatment for you and your individual case. Because he places an emphasis on dry eyes and heads the Chicago Dry Eye Center of Excellence, you can feel confident that you will receive the best care at our practice. To learn more about how we can help you, request a consultation or call our Chicago office, serving Midway and Garfield Ridge, at:
(773) 735-6090
"Best Eye Dr. in the Area!"
Angelica Segura
2020
Extremely pleased with this office! Staff is very friendly and always welcome you with a smile. Best eye dr. In the area! Extremely recommend.
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Art Vargas
2020
Very helpful and professional. They make everything understandable and a very easy experience. I highly recommend.
View On GoogleRisk Factors for Dry Eye
There are many issues that can increase your risk for dry eyes, including:
Age
Patients over 60 may struggle to produce a sufficient quantity of tears because tear production tends to decrease with age.Gender
Women are more likely to have dry eyes due to hormonal changes from pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, or menopause.Environment
Dry or windy settings may cause tears to evaporate too quickly. Patients who spend many hours in front of a computer may also suffer from this condition.Health
Certain diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid conditions, and some allergies, can increase the risk of dry eyes.Medications
Drugs like antihistamines, antidepressants, and blood pressure medication can increase a patient's likelihood of developing dry eyes.Contact Lenses
Many of our patients have trouble wearing contact lenses. Individuals who wear contact lenses are at a higher risk of developing dry eyes syndrome.Dry Eye Treatment Before and After Photo
Should I Seek Treatment?
Dry Eye Can Be Treated Easily
Dry eye is a medical condition that can range from mild to severe, and it doesn't simply go away if left untreated. Like other medical issues, it requires ongoing monitoring to prevent the worsening of the condition. For example, patients with high cholesterol should have their blood sugar levels checked on a routine basis, even if they feel fine. This enables doctors to respond to small changes before they get worse or cause major damage. Similarly, dry eye is a disease that needs continuous follow-up care to protect your vision and optimize your eye health and comfort.
Effective Care & Follow-Up
Because dry eye is a medical condition, care is often covered by medical insurance. The top tool we use to evaluate your dry eyes is a self-assessment. We want to understand how your eyes feel and respond to screen time, exercise, reading, sleep, and other activities. We also evaluate the function of the meibomian glands using infrared imaging. Further, we offer treatment that addresses the cause of your dry eyes rather than simply masking the symptoms. We will determine if your condition is caused by fast evaporation of existing tears or insufficient tear production.
Treatment for Dry Eye Syndrome
At Primary Eye Care Associates, we offer several treatments for dry eyes. While over-the-counter eye drops can provide relief, they do not address the cause of the problem and its occurrence. Our team will work closely with you to determine the right treatment to relieve your dry eye symptoms.
Nutritional Supplements
Your eye doctor may prescribe omega-3 fatty acids, often found in flaxseed and fish oil, to alleviate your dry eyes. He may also recommend adding more fatty acids to your diet with foods like salmon.
Tear Duct Plugs
Also called punctal plugs, these tiny silicone devices are placed in your tear ducts to prevent tears from evaporating too quickly. This procedure is highly effective, as many of our patients don't require eye drop therapy following treatment.
LipiFlow® and TearCare®
We use advanced in-office treatment methods, such as LipiFlow® and TearCare®, to unclog meibomian glands. Once cleared, we stimulate the eyelid glands with special eye drops, vitamins, or omega-3’s. We use this along with at-home heat therapy and artificial tears made for the meibomian glands.
Heat Therapy
If the oil ducts around your eyes are blocked, tears will evaporate too quickly. By routinely applying warm compresses to your eyes, the ducts become unblocked and improve comfort.
Autologous Serums
In some cases, we use a patient's own blood and plasma to produce customized artificial tears. Autologous serums contain many of the essential components and nutrients found in natural tears.
Specialty Eyedrops
Certain prescription eye drops, such as Xiidra® and CEQUA™, help the body produce more tears and provide lasting relief. Xiidra and CEQUA both address dry eye symptoms caused by inflammation.
Crystal Clear Praise for Our Chicago Practice
Rosalind Bush
2020
I'm a long time patient if Dr. Chander that relocated to another state. Due to the pandemic I've not been able to see him but finally made my way here today. He and his staff are the best to ever do it. Thanks to Joslyn for assisting me with my visit today. See ya next year!!!!!
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Guadalupe Godinez
2021
I enjoyed my visit with the clinic and Dr. Chandler. They are very professional and make you feel at home. They also speak both English and Spanish. They have the top technology to check eye vision and run any tests you need and overall it’s a great eye vision clinic.
View On GoogleOrder Eye Care From the Comfort of Your Home
We offer a range of eye drops and vitamins for our patients to order at their convenience. These products are backed by Dr. Chander and have proven to be effective in giving our patients dry eye relief. We only offer products that we believe in, and we are happy to make recommendations to you.
What Is the Cost?
Our LipiFlow and TearCare dry eye treatments are $487.50 per eye and include treatment, EZ Tears™ vitamins, one month worth of special dry eye drops, a heating mask for gland stimulation, a follow-up visit after three weeks, and a gland function retest after eight weeks.
We understand how frustrating dry eyes can be, and we want to make treatment as affordable as possible for our patients. We accept most insurance plans and CareCredit®. CareCredit is a third-party financing company that splits payments into easy monthly payments.
"You Will Not Find a Better Physician, Office, or Team"
Jennifer Werner
2020
I have been coming to primary eye care for about 15 years if not longer. Dr Chander is fantastic, you will not find a better physician, office, or team. They are always up to date with technology and have a wonderful selection of frames and services to meet all of your needs. My two boys and husband are now also patients of Dr. Chander and enjoying all of the wonderful services and care that this office has to offer. This is one office and physician you can trust and always be assured you will receive the best of service!
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Mari McNally
2020
Love Dr Chander and have paid cash to see him when my insurance was all crazy. He's so amazing, and I literally would not go anywhere else, even if it was free apparently! He is so knowledgeable, friendly, and truly concerned for his patients. His staff is so friendly, and the choices of frames there are gorgeous. Love my eye doctor! ♡
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