Eye Drops Do Not Cure Dry Eyes.
The first step is finding out why your eyes are dry.
Dry eye is not simply a lack of moisture. Blocked meibomian glands, eyelid inflammation, reduced tear production and other conditions can all cause persistent symptoms.
At our dedicated dry eye clinic, we look for the cause before deciding what treatment you need.
Dr Cheryl Lee
Ophthalmologist | Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Care
Dry Eye Specialist Singapore
When eye drops are no longer enough
Dry eye is not simply a lack of tears — and it should not have a one-size-fits-all treatment.
Many of the patients I see have already tried several different eye drops, sometimes for months or even years, without understanding why their eyes are dry in the first place.
My approach is different.
I look carefully at your tear film, meibomian glands, eyelids and ocular surface to understand what is causing your symptoms. Only then do I decide what treatment may help.
Because the treatment for blocked oil glands is very different from the treatment for poor tear production, eyelid inflammation or an unhealthy ocular surface.
The first step is not another bottle of eye drops.
It is finding the cause.
A Dedicated Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Service
Over the years, I have developed a particular interest in treating dry eye disease — especially patients who have already tried conventional treatment without sufficient relief.
Dry eye treatment has changed enormously.
We can now look beyond simply prescribing lubricating eye drops. Modern technology allows us to examine and treat different components of the tear film, meibomian glands, eyelids and ocular surface.
I have therefore brought together a comprehensive range of dry-eye diagnostic and treatment technologies so that I am not limited to offering every patient the same treatment.
I can choose the treatment to fit the patient — rather than fitting the patient to the treatment.
— Dr Cheryl Lee
Why Are My Eyes Dry?
The words dry eye describe the symptoms. They do not necessarily tell us the cause.
Your eyes may feel dry, gritty, tired or sore. But dry eye can also cause surprisingly watery eyes, intermittent blurred vision, redness, light sensitivity or difficulty wearing contact lenses.
There may also be more than one problem occurring at the same time.
1. Blocked Meibomian Glands
The tiny meibomian glands inside our eyelids produce the oily layer of our tears.
When these glands become blocked or unhealthy — known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) or meibomitis— the tears evaporate too quickly.
Lubricating drops may temporarily make the eyes feel better, but they do not necessarily address the blocked glands themselves.
[LEARN ABOUT MEIBOMITIS]
2. Blepharitis & Eyelid Inflammation
Sometimes the problem begins at the eyelid margin.
Blepharitis, bacterial overgrowth, debris around the eyelashes and Demodex can contribute to inflammation and an unhealthy tear film.
For these patients, treating the eyelids themselves can be an important part of dry-eye treatment.
[LEARN ABOUT BLEPHARITIS & DEMODEX]
3. Reduced Tear Production
Some patients simply do not produce enough tears.
Age, hormonal changes, medications and certain autoimmune conditions can contribute to reduced tear production.
These patients require a very different approach from someone whose main problem is excessive evaporation from blocked oil glands.
4. Eyelid & Blinking Problems
Our eyelids are an important part of the tear system.
Incomplete blinking, eyelid laxity and other anatomical changes can prevent tears from spreading properly across the surface of the eye.
This is one reason why I examine the eyelids as well as the eye itself.
5. Dry Eyes After LASIK or Refractive Surgery
Some patients develop persistent dry-eye symptoms following laser refractive surgery.
Corneal nerves are involved in the normal feedback mechanisms controlling tears and blinking. When these are affected, the dry-eye picture may be more complex.
For these patients, it is particularly important to determine whether there is also underlying MGD, blepharitis, reduced tear production or another ocular-surface problem.
[READ ABOUT DRY EYES AFTER LASIK]
Your Dry Eye Assessment
We don't start by asking, “Which eye drop should you use?”
We start by asking:
Why are your eyes dry?
Your assessment may include examination of your:
Tear film
Is there enough tear volume and are the tears stable?
Meibomian glands
Are the oil glands functioning normally, blocked or inflamed?
Eyelids and eyelashes
Is there blepharitis, Demodex, debris or inflammation?
Ocular surface
Is the cornea or conjunctiva showing signs of dryness or inflammation?
Blink and eyelid position
Are your eyelids closing and spreading the tear film normally?
Only after understanding these factors do I recommend a treatment plan.
Advanced Dry Eye Treatments
There is no single “best” dry-eye treatment.
The appropriate treatment depends on what we find.
Our treatment options include technologies and therapies directed at different components of dry-eye disease.
Eye-Light®
Eye-Light uses light-based technology as part of the treatment of selected patients with dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction.
It may be used as part of a broader treatment plan rather than as a stand-alone solution for every patient.
Tixel®
Tixel is another technology available in our dry-eye treatment programme and may be suitable for selected patients depending upon their eyelid and meibomian-gland findings.
BlephEx®
When blepharitis and debris around the eyelashes are contributing to the problem, professional eyelid cleaning with BlephEx may form part of treatment.
Meibomian Gland Treatment
When the oil glands are blocked, treatment may be directed specifically at improving meibomian gland function rather than simply adding more artificial tears.
Punctal Plugs
For carefully selected patients with insufficient tears, tiny punctal plugs can reduce tear drainage and help tears remain on the eye for longer.
They are not appropriate for every dry-eye patient, which is why I prefer to identify and treat significant eyelid and meibomian-gland inflammation first when appropriate.
Prescription & Home Treatment
Technology is only one part of dry-eye care.
Depending on the cause, treatment may also include prescription medication, appropriate lubricants, warm compresses, eyelid hygiene, changes to contact-lens use and practical advice about screen habits and your environment.
Sometimes the simplest treatments are still important — provided we are treating the right problem.
“I've Already Tried Everything for My Dry Eyes.”
I hear this surprisingly often.
Many patients who come to see me have already tried numerous eye drops, eyelid wipes, supplements or treatments elsewhere.
That does not necessarily mean that nothing more can be done.
Sometimes we need to go back to the beginning and reconsider the diagnosis.
Is it predominantly MGD?
Blepharitis?
Demodex?
Poor tear production?
An eyelid problem?
Allergy?
Post-LASIK dry eye?
Or a combination of several of these?
Persistent dry eye deserves another look.
Dr Cheryl Lee's Approach to Dry Eye
“Many of my dry-eye patients arrive carrying a bag of eye drops.
They have tried one bottle after another, often without anyone really explaining why their eyes continue to feel dry.
I don't want to simply add another bottle to the bag.
I want to understand what is happening to the tear film, the oil glands, the eyelids and the surface of the eye.
Once we understand the cause, we can have a much more sensible conversation about treatment.”
If you are Still Using Eye Drops Every Day
If your eyes remain dry, gritty, watery, red or tired despite using eye drops, it may be time to find out why.
A dry-eye assessment begins with identifying the cause and then deciding what — if anything — needs treating.
Dr Cheryl Lee
Ophthalmologist
What is meibomitis?
What is Blepharitis?
Another main cause of dry eyes is blepharitis, which means inflamed eyelids.
Eyelids turn red, itchy, crusty, and irritated because of too many bacteria on the eyelid edges. Eye drops don't cure blepharitis. Blephex is an FDA-approved device that carefully cleans the eyelashes.
Advanced dry eye treatment is provided at The Eye Doctor, the dedicated dry eye specialty clinic founded by Dr Cheryl Lee.
Dry Eye Clinic patients talking about their Eyelight/Tixel experience.
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Kirsten Thrum. After suffering from dry eyes for far too long and without improvement with eye drops, I attended the Eye Clinic by Dr Cheryl for assessment. The treatment Dr Cheryl suggested has worked wonders. No more dry eyes and no more strained eyes. The treatment is painless and relaxing. My only regret is that I waited so long to see the professional and personable Dr Cheryl and her amazing staff.
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Simon Cheng. 6 months ago I found Dr Cheryl on Google 5 mths ago as I badly needed a good doctor to take care of my dry eye issues which was really affecting my daily life and my work. I am glad I made the right decision in engaging Dr Cheryl's service. Both she and her entire team are super professional. No hard sell, she asked all the right qns and did the necessary tests to pin point the cause my issues, provided me with all the facts and options, and ordered the required treatments which turned out to be very effective. Thank you Dr Cheryl and team!
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Willy Chandra. 5 months ago I have rather severe dry eyes condition and situation did not improve despite went with eye drop treatment for 1 year and was told there was nothing other than eye drops that can cure this. When i consult with Dr Cheryl Lee , she takes time to explain my condition comprehensively and i went for eye light treatment. My dry eyes condition improved a lot just after 2nd session and back to normal thanks to Dr Cheryl Lee expertise.
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Florence Seow. After suffering from dry eyes for over a year, which increasingly affected my vision, and after consulting several doctors to no avail, I came to Dr Cheryl Lee. Dr Cheryl Lee is highly professional. Within the first few minutes of the initial consultation, she had identified the root cause of my dry eyes, and recommended several (very effective) treatments. My dry eyes improved significantly after and has only continued to do so. Dr Cheryl Lee is also extremely transparent. I remember thinking that these treatments were lifelong. However, Dr Cheryl Lee quickly informed me that all I needed was 2-3 treatments. There was no hard sell. Dr Cheryl Lee and her team are also super approachable. For example, during a subsequent consultation, I mentioned that my left eye was still suffering dryness although my right eye was great. Previous doctors shook me off, insisting that all I needed were eye drops and eye lid wipes, but Dr Cheryl Lee and her team listened and were persistent in their efforts to resolve this mystery. My dry eyes have now improved and I only return for check ups, such as lid cleansing or a treatment, if and when appropriate. I’ve never written a Google review but my experience with The Eye Clinic definitely warrants one. I am so impressed with the service and mostly importantly, the results. For anyone suffering from dry eyes, I definitely recommend The Eye Clinic!