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Dry Eye Treatment
Dry eyes cause itching, redness, and blurriness, making daily tasks such as driving, using the computer, or wearing contacts uncomfortable.
At Choate Eye Associates in Nashville, TN we use sophisticated screening tools and diverse treatments to eliminate dry eye.
Why should you choose our advanced dry eye center for treatment?
Professional Care Can Provide Long-Term Relief
Eliminate Your Symptoms
Dry eye causes symptoms such as redness, excess tearing, and even blurred vision. Professional treatment can help alleviate or even eliminate these uncomfortable effects.
Simple, Safe Therapies
Most dry eye treatments are gentle and non-invasive, meaning you can get relief without worrying about undergoing an extensive procedure.
Improved Ability to Wear Contacts
Dry eye syndrome can make it difficult to wear contacts for more than a few hours at a time. Treating the condition can improve your ability to comfortably wear contacts for a full day.
Overall Improved Quality of Life
By reducing discomfort, improving your vision, and delivering long-term relief, professional dry eye treatment can boost your overall quality of life.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are tired of living with the annoying symptoms of dry eye, Dr. Walter Choate can help. Dr. Choate has been serving Nashville and surrounding areas from his Goodlettsville practice since 1979. He specializes in treating dry eye syndrome and is a board-certified provider for a wide variety of treatment options.
For more information about your options, contact our practice online or call (615) 851-7575 today.
Dry Eye Is Extremely Common
How to Determine If You Might Have Dry Eye
We are able to identify the symptoms of dry eye during your routine eye exam at our Goodlettsville office. Dr. Choate may ask you several questions to determine the severity of your symptoms. These questions include:
Are you experiencing symptoms like stinging, burning, watering, scratching, or grittiness?
If you wear contact lenses, is it hard to wear them for more than a few hours at a time?
Is it difficult to perform certain tasks or activities such as driving at night?
Are you experiencing blurry vision?
If you've tried over-the-counter eyedrops, have they delivered long-lasting relief?
Do your eyes often look red?
Always Friendly and Helpful
"Dr. Choate and staff are always friendly and helpful. I first went to him for chronic dry eyes in 2009 and he has really helped improve the health of my eyes." Sky Hutson
Dry Eye Isn't Just Annoying, It Can Be Dangerous
Although dry eye can just be a passing annoyance for some, for others, it can be extremely debilitating. Severe cases of dry eye can cause serious discomfort and over time, affect your quality of life.
Your eyes also need sufficient, lubricating tears to protect the surface of the cornea. Dry eye affects the quality or quantity – or both – of your tears. If left untreated, dry eye can increase your risk of eye infections and corneal ulcers. Although treatable, these corneal conditions can lead to vision loss.
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Advanced Screening Tools Available at Choate Eye Associates
As an advanced dry eye center, Choate Eye Associates is proud to offer the latest dry eye screening technology.
- Slit lamp exam: This microscope allows Dr. Choate to closely examine the front and inside of your eyes and identify dry eye and other diseases. Using this tool, he can also perform anterior segment photography to clearly visualize your condition.
- Schirmer's test: This dry eye test evaluates your tears. During the exam, Dr. Choate will place a small strip of paper inside your eyelid to observe your tear production.
- LipiScan™: This system uses infrared technology to produce high-resolution images of the meibomian glands. The glands help produce healthy tears, and Dr. Choate may use this method to determine if they are blocked or otherwise not functioning properly.
By using an array of tools at our Nashville practice, we can prescribe the most effective treatment possible for your unique needs.
Initial Visit through Personalized Care
The extent of your treatment will depend on your diagnosis, but you can generally expect several steps:
Improved Comfort & Clearer Vision
Although it can take up to several weeks to experience the full results of your treatment, most patients at Choate Eye Associates enjoy almost immediate relief from their symptoms. By addressing the source of your dry eye, you can benefit from:
- Reduced redness
- Improved comfort
- Clearer vision
- Restored ability to wear contact lenses
- Less tearing or watering
Improving these areas of your life can help enhance your overall well-being and quality of life.
Consider Lifestyle Changes Plus Attend Yearly Exams
To minimize your risk of experiencing dry eyes in the future, it is important to attend your yearly routine eye exams at our Goodlettsville practice. During these exams, Dr. Choate can evaluate your condition and determine whether any modifications are necessary.
There are also lifestyle changes that have been shown to improve dry eye syndrome, including:
- Getting more sleep
- Staying hydrated
- Quitting smoking
- Eating a nutritious, balanced diet
- Resting your eyes between phone and computer use
There are a variety of solutions available for dry eye, and our team can design an effective treatment plan based entirely on your diagnosis.
The current regimens available at our Nashville-area practice include:
- Prescription drugs such as RESTASIS®, Xiidra®, Lotemax, or doxycycline
- Antioxidants and fish oil high in EPA/DHA/GLA and astaxanthin
- An anti-inflammatory diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins
- Staying hydrated
- Warm compresses such as the BRUDER® Moist Heat Eye Compress
- Antibiotic lid scrubs such as OCuSOFT®
- Blinking exercises
- Artificial tears including SYSTANE® ULTRA, SYSTANE BALANCE, SYSTANE Preservative-Free, SYSTANE Gel Drops, SYSTANE Nighttime Ointment, REFRESH® OPTIVE, REFRESH OPTIVE Advanced Preservative-Free, REFRESH Liquigel, and REFRESH Lacri-lube Ointment
- LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System
- ThermiEyes
In addition to testing, we will decide which treatment is recommended based on the severity of the symptoms we observe during your clinical evaluation.
I Know My Eyes Are in Good Hands
"Dr. Choate is a great physician, who takes very good care of you and makes sure your sight is on point. The staff is warm, friendly, polite and prompt. I love the service and atmosphere there. I know my eyes are in good hands with Dr. Choate..." Gretta Farmer
At Choate Eye Associates, we can help patients achieve lasting relief from painful dry eye symptoms with LipiFlow treatments. Meibomian glands produce the oil found in tears. Meibomian gland dysfunction caused by blockages is a leading cause of dry eyes.
Lipiflow treatments are nonsurgical, comfortable, and take less than 15 minutes to complete. A combination of heat and pressure help to unblock the glands to allow your eyes to naturally lubricate themselves. Most patients notice improvements to their dry eye symptoms in six to eight weeks.
Using radio-frequency energy, ThermiEyes offers a safe, quick, and painless relief from dry eyes. ThermiEyes delivers constant radio-frequency energy deep into the skin to produce heat. This liquefies any crystalized oily substance that prevents tears from evaporating, improving meibomian glad function.
Treatment sessions last 10 to 15 minutes per eye, allowing you to get on with your busy day. Following treatment, you can return to work or resume your normal activities. You do not have to avoid wearing contact lenses or makeup the days following the procedure.
Some Costs
Are Covered by Insurance
The cost of your dry eye treatment will depend on the type. Because many of the treatments are simple and non-invasive, treating dry eye is generally more cost-effective than addressing other ocular diseases that can occur if you leave dry eye untreated.
In addition, many of the treatments offered at Choate Eye Associates may be partially or fully covered by your insurance.
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