Blephex

Blephex – Healthy lids for life!

Blephex is the painless procedure carried out by your eye care professional. It is most beneficial for anyone suffering from:

• Dry Eye Disease
• Contact Lens Discomfort
• Meibomium Gland Dysfunction
• Blepharitis

What will a Blephex treatment do?

When the surface of the eye is drier than normal, the eyelids move across it and pick up debris and bacteria which haven’t been washed away. Much like windscreen wipers on a dry windscreen. Debris builds up on the eyelids over weeks, hardening and forming a layer similar to plaque on teeth. The debris blocks the oil glands, allowing bacteria and Demodex mites to thrive in the area and cause further complications.

During a Blephex procedure, a soft, medical grade sponge is moved across the eyelids. Whilst it spins to effectively remove debris and bacteria that have caused blockages of the glands around the eyelids. Similar to a dental hygienist removing plaque, Blephex gently unblocks the oil glands, effectively removing the debris for clean, clear and comfortable eyes.

We offer the following options to access our specialist dry eye clinics…

Eyeplans

Dry eye management tends to be an ongoing commitment with regular review and treatment needed. In addition, various products are required to help manage dry eye, such as lubricants and special lid cleaners. Here at Focus Medical Eye Centre we have broken down the clinical fees and product fees into manageable monthly amounts to help spread the costs throughout the year.

Fee Plan and Products

£15.00 a month Direct Debit includes a full dry eye assessment* and treatment plan including 6 monthly reviews and 6 monthly Blephex treatment.

*Year 1 full eyeplan covers initial assessment, 1 month follow up, 5 month first review and 6 monthly review thereafter.

Eyeplans

£19.00 a month Direct Debit includes 1 product every 3 months i.e. Thealoz Duo eye drops. This gives up to a 15% saving compared to the normal retail price.

£22.00 a month Direct Debit includes 2 products every 3 months i.e. Thealoz Duo eye drops plus lidcare wipes.

Pay As You Go

A full dry eye assessment with treatment and management plans costs £110.00. This includes 1 Blephex treatment and 1 follow up appointment. Subsequent follow ups are charged at £50.00 per consultation and Blephex is £60.00 per treatment.

What are the causes of dry eye?

Dry eye occurs when the eye does not produce tears properly. Or when the tears are not of the correct consistency and evaporate too quickly. This leads to the eye drying out, becoming red or swollen with irritation.

Some people can also have episodes of ‘watery eye’ in which the eye over produces tears in response to the irritation caused by the dry eye.

Inflammation of the surface of the eye may occur along with dry eye. If left untreated, this condition can lead to pain, ulcers, or scars on the cornea, and some loss of vision. However, permanent loss of vision from dry eye is uncommon.

A failure to produce enough tears is called an Aqueous Deficiency and a failure to stop the tears evaporating too quickly is called Evaporative Dry Eye. The glands that produce the oily part of the tear film are generally affected here.

Causes may include the following:

• The natural aging process, especially during menopause
• Side effects of certain medications such as antihistamines and birth control pills
• Diseases that affect the quality and ability to make tears such as Sjorgens syndrome, collagen vascular diseases, thyroid eye disease and rheumatoid arthritis
• Structural problems with the eyes that don’t allow them to close properly or a problem with the tear ducts. This can be caused by cosmetic surgery
• Environmental factors such as strong winds and heating
• Inflammation of the surface of the eye such as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (Fig 1&2) and Blepharitis (Fig 3)

What are the symptoms of dry eye?

Dry eye symptoms may include any of the following:

• Stinging or burning of the eye
• A sandy or gritty feeling as if something is in the eye
• Episodes of excess tears following very dry eye periods
• A stringy discharge from the eye
• Pain and redness of the eye
• Episodes of blurred vision
• Heavy eyelids
• Inability to cry when emotionally stressed
• Uncomfortable contact lenses
• Decreased tolerance of reading, working on the computer, or any activity that requires sustained visual attention
• Eye fatigue