Why the Right Treatment Starts With the Right Assessment
If you have been living with dry, gritty, burning or watery eyes, you may already have a collection of eye drops, gels, sprays or heated eye masks at home.
Perhaps some have helped for a while. Perhaps others have made very little difference.
That does not necessarily mean there is nothing that can be done.
The difficulty with Dry Eye is that the same symptoms can happen for very different reasons. And until you understand what is actually happening with your eyes, it can be difficult to know which treatment is worth trying.
At HAYDENSWAN Eyecare in Haywards Heath, West Sussex this is why treatment never comes first. The consultation does.
Dry Eye is not one single problem
Two people can both tell us: “My eyes feel dry and uncomfortable.”
But when we assess them, the reasons may be completely different.
One person's tears may be evaporating too quickly because the tiny oil-producing glands within the eyelids are not functioning properly.
Another may not be producing enough tears.
Someone else's symptoms may be influenced by eyelid inflammation, medication, hormonal changes, contact lenses, skincare, long periods of screen use or their working environment.
And somebody complaining of watery eyes may actually have an unstable tear film or a problem involving the tear-drainage system.
This is one of the reasons we are cautious about treating Dry Eye symptoms in isolation.
We want to understand why your eyes are behaving the way they are first.
What happens at our Dry Eye Clinic in Haywards Heath?
Our specialist Dry Eye Clinic at HAYDENSWAN Eyecare is led by Consultant Optometrist Robert Longhurst, who also works within NHS ophthalmology and specialist practice on Harley Street.
A thorough Dry Eye consultation allows us to build a much clearer picture of what may be contributing to your symptoms.
We look at more than whether your eyes simply appear “dry”.
Your consultation can consider your symptoms and when they occur, medication, general health, screen use, contact lens wear, skincare and cosmetics, hormonal changes, lifestyle and environment.
Clinically, we can assess areas including the surface of the eye, eyelid health, tear quality and stability and the meibomian glands within your eyelids.
Imaging allows us to look at these glands and identify changes or blockages that would not be solved simply by adding more moisture to the eye.
The purpose is not to overwhelm you with tests.
It is to answer three useful questions:
What specialist Dry Eye treatments are available?
HAYDENSWAN offers a range of in-practice and advanced Dry Eye treatments, but importantly, they are not a menu for patients to choose from.
They are recommended only when the findings from your consultation suggest they may be appropriate.
ZEST Deep Eyelid Cleanse
Sometimes the eyelids themselves are an important part of the problem.
ZEST is a professional deep-cleansing treatment for the lashes and eyelid margins, helping remove oils, debris and build-up around an area that can become problematic in conditions such as blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction.
It may be recommended where improving eyelid hygiene is an important part of getting symptoms under better control.
NuLids Eyelid Therapy
NuLids provides gentle mechanical cleansing and massage along the eyelid margins.
It can be particularly useful where debris, crusting or poor eyelid hygiene is contributing to symptoms, while the gentle massage can also support the glands responsible for producing the oily component of healthy tears.
Meibomian Gland Probing
Those tiny meibomian glands play a surprisingly important role in keeping the eyes comfortable.
They release oils that help prevent your tears evaporating too quickly.
For selected patients with persistent obstruction, meibomian gland probing is a specialist procedure designed to carefully access blocked gland openings and help restore the pathway through which those natural oils flow.
It is considered only after detailed assessment and when more conservative approaches have not provided the support required.
Punctal Plugs
Not every Dry Eye problem is caused by tears evaporating too quickly.
Some people need help keeping tears on the surface of the eye for longer.
Punctal plugs are tiny inserts placed within the tear-drainage openings to slow the rate at which tears leave the eye.
They can be very useful for appropriately selected patients, but if somebody already has troublesome watering or a drainage problem, simply slowing drainage may not be the right answer.
LACRIFILL Canalicular Gel
LACRIFILL provides another approach to conserving natural tears.
A specially designed hyaluronic-acid gel is placed within the small tear-drainage channels to temporarily reduce drainage, helping tears remain on the eye surface for longer.
Lacrimal Syringing
This one often surprises people because watery eyes and Dry Eye can exist together.
Sometimes persistent watering suggests that tears are not draining normally.
Lacrimal syringing allows our clinician to investigate the tear-drainage pathway using sterile saline and identify whether a narrowing or obstruction could be contributing to the problem.
It is a useful reminder that treating a watery eye with more eye drops without understanding why it is watering may miss part of the picture.
Amniotic Membrane Therapy
For more severe or persistent ocular-surface problems, we also offer amniotic membrane therapy.
A specially prepared, processed and sterilised amniotic membrane is placed over the ocular surface, acting as a biological bandage to provide additional protection and support healing.
This is a option for selected patients rather than a routine Dry Eye treatment, and an up-to-date clinical assessment is essential beforehand.
So, which Dry Eye treatment is best?
This is probably the question we are asked most.
And the most useful answer is:
The best treatment is the one that addresses what is actually happening with your eyes.
There is no universally “best” Dry Eye drop, machine or treatment.
Someone with blocked meibomian glands may need a completely different approach from somebody who is producing too few tears.
A patient with significant eyelid inflammation needs something different again.
And someone whose main complaint is constant watering may need their tear drainage investigated before anything else.
That is why our Dry Eye Clinic is not built around selling one particular treatment.
Diagnosis comes first. Treatment follows.
Specialist Dry Eye care in Haywards Heath, West Sussex
At HAYDENSWAN Eyecare, we want our patients to understand their eyes rather than simply leave with another product to try.
Sometimes the answer is a better drop, gel, spray or heated compress. Sometimes it is a change in everyday habits. Sometimes the eyelids or meibomian glands need treatment. And sometimes a more advanced clinical approach is appropriate. The important thing is knowing the difference.
Our Consultant-led Dry Eye Clinic by Robert Longhurst is based in Haywards Heath, West Sussex and gives us the ability to investigate your symptoms thoroughly and then build a personalised treatment plan around what we actually find.
Because when it comes to Dry Eye, we believe the right question is not: “Which treatment should I try?” It is: “Why do my eyes feel like this?”
Once we understand that, we can make much better decisions about what comes next.
Are your eyes dry, watery, gritty or uncomfortable?
Book a Dry Eye Consultation at HAYDENSWAN Eyecare in Haywards Heath, or speak to our team if you are unsure whether an assessment is right for you.
Call: 01444 275420
Visit: HAYDENSWAN Eyecare, No. 3, 32 Middle Village, Bolnore, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4GH
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dry eye curable?
Dry Eye is often a chronic condition, which means it usually needs ongoing management rather than a one-off cure. With the right Dry Eye treatment plan, symptoms can often be controlled and long-term comfort improved.
Is dry eye linked to menopause?
It can be. Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can affect the way the eyes feel and how well the tears work. Many women notice more dryness, watering, irritation or sensitivity during this stage of life.
Can watery eyes still be a sign of dry eye?
Yes. Watery eyes are a common Dry Eye symptom because irritation can trigger excess tears that do not remain stable on the eye for long enough.
Are eye drops enough to help my dry eye?
Sometimes, but not always, it’s personalised. In some cases, dry eye treatment may need to address blocked oil glands, inflammation, poor tear quality, tear drainage or other underlying causes rather than relying on drops alone.
Can dry eye cause blurry or fluctuating vision?
Yes. Dry eye can cause blurred or fluctuating vision, particularly when the tear film becomes unstable. Some people notice their vision temporarily improves after blinking.
What is meibomian gland dysfunction?
Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) happens when the tiny oil glands in the eyelids become blocked or stop working effectively. This can cause tears to evaporate too quickly and is a common cause of dry eye.