For information regarding COVID-19 and our office, please visit our COVID-19 page here.

All patients must wear a mask or face covering when entering our office regardless of vaccination status due to our office being a medical facility.

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WHAT DOES DRY EYE “FEEL LIKE” FOR YOU?

Dry eye is a common and often chronic condition,
impacting millions. It occurs when your tears aren’t
able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes.
Tears can be inadequate and unstable for many
reasons. Our team tests tear production through a
very comprehensive evaluation. Tear instability
leads to inflammation which can result in damage
to the eye’s surface.

The two primary forms of Dry Eye are Evaporative
Dry Eye and Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye. The key to
managing dry eye is diagnosing symptoms early
and getting the proper treatment to prevent
further damage and disease.

When you visit the Dry Eye Clinic at Brenart, you
will be seen by a team of technicians and Dr. Nicole
Zangler who specializes in relieving eye dryness.

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Over the past 5 years my eyes watered uncontrollably every morning and it felt like shards of glass in my eyes when I blinked. Since having the lipiflow treatment, my eyes have stopped watering and the pain is gone. I would tell anyone with these symptoms to try this! – Barb L.

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WHAT CAUSES DRY EYES?

Eye dryness affects many people, but its causes and severity can vary. For lasting relief, it is essential to have a licensed eye doctor examine your eyes to understand what is causing your specific symptoms.

 

When you come to the Dry Eye Clinic at Brenart, you will be seen by a team of technicians and Dr. Nicole Zangler who specializes in relieving eye dryness.

 

Tears are comprised of three layers: oil, water, and mucus. Each layer plays a key role in keeping the eye lubricated. For example, the oil layer prevents the water layer from evaporating, while the mucin layer spreads tears evenly. Should any layer prove insufficient, it will result in eye dryness.

 

Factors such as age, gender, medications, and certain medical conditions can all affect your body’s ability to produce good quality tears. Even your environment can cause the water layer to evaporate too quickly. Just as there are multiple causes of dry eye, there are multiple kinds as well.

 

Evaporative Dry Eye is caused by a lack of oil in tears, resulting in the water layer evaporating too quickly. Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye, on the other hand, is when tears do not contain enough water to keep eyes nourished. Which kind of dry eye you have will dictate which treatment you receive.

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SCHEDULE A COMPREHENSIVE “DRY EYE EVALUATION“ WITH BRENART EYE CLINIC

Learn what treatment options would be most appropriate for you.

 

Our goal is to identify the most effective treatment to help you feel and see better!

YOUR DRY EYE EVALUATION: WHAT TO EXPECT

At Brenart Eye Clinic, we feel very strongly about Dry Eye Disease. Proper diagnosis is the first step towards relief. While millions suffer, the majority of cases go undiagnosed because the sufferers misunderstand their symptoms or assume that they are caused by external irritants or that they are just part of life.

 

In fact, Dry Eye Disease occurs when your eyes do not produce enough tears or produce poor-quality tears. This can happen for a number of reasons, and is why it is essential to get your tears analyzed by your eye doctor. Only an eye doctor can properly diagnose your problem and treat it appropriately.

 

When you arrive for your appointment, our team will complete a thorough examination of your eyelids and eyes using non-invasive methods. Once we understand what sort of eye dryness you are experiencing, we will discuss the best options for your treatment. Utilizing breakthrough technology from TearLab, patients can be tested in our office and get objective results immediately. Our team will take a sample of tears from each eye to measure osmolarity. (The tear sample required is very small. Thanks to advanced technology, your doctor will need an amount no larger than the period at the end of this sentence.)

 

Our team of Eye Care Professionals are ready to help you develop an action plan to control and treat your dry eyes. This starts with a one-hour, comprehensive evaluation, which includes measuring of your eyelid anatomy, assessing the mechanics of your blinks, and assessing the components of your tear film with an Osmolarity Test. Then, we take and review a complete medical and eye history, keeping lifestyle and medications in mind. Once this information is gathered, we’ll explore different treatment options, and find the right one for you!

 

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It’s Called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) And It’s Pretty Common.

 

Your dry eyes may be caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) which is a prevalent, chronic, and progressive disease that becomes worse the longer it goes untreated. Dry Eye disease caused by MGD causes unsatisfactory vision and affects the overall results of both cataract and LASIK surgeries. Keeping the function and structure of your Meibomian glands healthy is key, as MGD progresses over time. MGD is also known as Evaporative Dry Eye and can be caused by activities or conditions that are common in everyday life.

 

Your Meibomian glands produce the oily part of the tear film needed to protect the surface of your eye by preventing the evaporation of the watery part of your tears. MGD is a leading cause of Dry Eye and can be the source of most dry eye symptoms, such as burning, stinging, and itching. But because MGD is a progressive disease, it can be present even when asymptomatic. In fact, 1 in 5 MGD patients may not have any dry eye symptoms.

 

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How Does Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Cause Dry Eye?

MGD is caused by a blockage of the Meibomian glands located in the eyelids. It is a chronic progressive condition and, if left untreated, may worsen over time, leaving eyes feeling more irritated, inflamed, and dry. And despite how it sounds, the cause of Dry Eye is rarely due to a lack of the watery part of your tears but rather an insufficient lipid layer that is needed to prevent the watery part from evaporating too quickly between blinks. In fact in one study, 86% of all Dry Eye patients had MGD.

 

As part of the Dry Eye Evaluation at Brenart Eye Clinic, we will take an image of your Meibomian glands and review the images with you – discussing the level of visible glands you have, if any. Your doctor will also conduct additional tests since imaging alone cannot diagnose MGD.

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DRY EYE TEAM

When you visit the Dry Eye Clinic at Brenart Eye Clinic in Yorkville, you will be seen by a team of technicians and Dr. Nicole Zangler who specializes in relieving eye dryness and heads up the clinic.

 

Our evaluation measures eyelid anatomy, assesses the mechanics of your blinks, and assesses the components of your tear film. So are you ready for some relief?

Dry Eye Clinic Medical Director

Nicole Zangler, O.D., has been specializing in eye dryness for over 15 years. After traveling extensively to collaborate with doctors and researchers from around the world, Nicole establish the Dry Eye Clinic to bring her knowledge back home for treating patients with eye dryness. Dr. Zangler is a practicing optometrist and a member of the American Optometric Association, the Illinois Optometric Association, and the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society. A Yorkville native and graduate of Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), she is a third-generation optometrist and co-owner of Brenart Eye Clinic.

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SOLUTIONS & TREATMENTS FOR DRY EYE

We offer a wide variety of the most up-to-date, non-invasive procedures available. Based on the evaluation, we will help you to identify the best treatment.

  • Lipiflow
  • BlephEx
  • AFT
  • Laser
  • Medications
  • Nutriceuticals
  • Punctal Plugs
  • Scleral Lenses
  • Nulids System
  • Eye Compresses
  • Sleep Shields

 

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