Welcome to
Dry Eye Chicago

Old Town’s new dry eye treatment facility within Occhiali Eyeglass

 
 
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We get it.

Dry eye is an extremely frustrating disease commonly referred to as DED (dry eye disease). But the good news is you came to the right place.

DED affects hundreds of millions of people, producing irritating symptoms that negatively impact quality of life every day. In fact, it is one of the most frequently cited patient issues and a top cause of patient visits in general.

Understanding dry eye

 
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What is dry eye?

TFOS DEWS II report is a groundbreaking study involving clinical and research experts around the world to reach a global consensus on DED.

The report defined dry eye as:

"A multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, and accompanied by ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities play etiological roles."

 

In technical terms?

Dry eye is a symptomatic disease, characterized by a vicious cycle of tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, which leads to increased ocular surface inflammation, damage, and neurosensory abnormalities.

In our terms?

It’s treatable. Almost 90% of chronic dry eye sufferers have some compoent of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Meibomian glands produce oils that protect the tear layer on the eye. This means that people with normal tear production can still experience dry eye symptoms because the protective oil layer is deficient and their eye’s water layer evaporates.

The anatomy of a dry eye

Protective water layer

Protective water layer

Watery layer is protected by oil

Watery layer is protected by oil

When there is not a sufficient oil layer, the water layer evaporates

When there is not a sufficient oil layer, the water layer evaporates

 
 

Common symptoms

People with moderate to severe DED often report at least two of the following common issues:

Contact lens discomfort

Feeling of sand or grit in the eye

Redness

Burning

Itching

Light sensitivity

Significant pain

Limitations in performing daily activities

Reduced vitality

Poor general health

Depression

 

Our approach

 
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Diagnosing dry eye

To accurately diagnose the cause of your dry eye, we consider many factors to establish appropriate and effective treatment and care.

TESTS WE PERFORM:

Subjective symptom assessment- (patient questionnaire)

Tear Volume (Phenol Red or Schirmers)

Presence of Inflammation (mmp-9 Biomarker)

Concentration of Tears (Tearlab)

Meibomian Gland Structure (Lipiscan)

The amount of oil in tears. (Tear break-up time)

Lid Hygiene Assessment (Presence of Blepharitis)

 

Treating dry eye

Once properly diagnosed, treatments can involve one or multiple of the following:

Preservative free Artificial Tears

Lid hygiene — In office or at home.

Supplementation — The use of Omega 3.

Anti-inflammatory medications: Restasis or Xiidra

Warm Compresses- Bruder Mask

IPL — Intense pulsed light

Eyelid Thermal Pulsation treatment Lipiflow


As part of our treatment capabilities, we can administer treatment using LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation. This non-invasive procedure is done in-office and only takes 12 minutes. Using this system, we can provide immediate relief for patients whose dry eye is some MGD (Meibomian Gland Dysfunction) component.

HOW LIPIFLOW THERMAL PULSATION WORKS:

Lipiflow Activators are single-use sterile devices that safely and comfortably deliver a combination of heat to the inner lids and simultaneous therapeutic massage to the outer lids, removing blockages from the Meibomian glands. After removing those obstructions, your glands are able to produce the oils essential to protecting your eyes from MGD (Meibomian Gland Dysfunction).

 
 
 
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Who we are

Since 1995, the Occhiali Eyeglass storefront has been a fixture in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood and has been growing every since, not only as an authority on luxury eyewear and keratoconus care, but as one of the city’s most trusted practices. Learn more about our team and Dr. Robert Lopez.

 

Book your appointment

LOCATION

1640 North Wells Street
Chicago, Illinois 60614
P: 312.255.1977
F: 312.255.1979
E: occhialiltd@gmail.com

HOURS

Monday: 10 - 6

Tuesday: 10 - 6

Wednesday: 10 - 6

Thursday: 10 - 6

Friday: Closed

Saturday: 9 - 3*

Sunday: Closed

*Closed every other Saturday

PARKING

Validated valet parking available in adjacent Americana Tower Building.