Real Treatment.
Real Relief.

Dry eye disease has a root cause — and at Lighthouse Vision, we treat it. Using a comprehensive suite of advanced therapies, we restore your meibomian glands, reduce inflammation, and rebuild a healthy tear film that lasts.

9+ Treatment
Modalities

60 min Comprehensive
Evaluation

17+ Oculus 5M
Diagnostic Tests

IPL + RF Advanced
Energy Therapies

Insurance Accepted for
Medical Visits

The root cause

Most dry eye is caused by
blocked glands, not a lack of tears.

The most common form of dry eye is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) — the tiny oil-producing glands along your eyelid margins become clogged, damaged, or inflamed. Without this protective oil layer, your tears evaporate too quickly and your eyes cannot maintain a stable, comfortable surface.

Dry eye is also driven by chronic inflammation, hormonal changes, systemic conditions like Sjogren’s syndrome and rosacea, and neurological factors. Understanding the specific mechanism in each patient is why we begin every treatment relationship with a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation — not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Common Symptoms

  • Burning, stinging, or gritty sensation

  • Light sensitivity (photophobia)

  • Blurred vision that fluctuates with blinking

  • Eye fatigue — especially with screens or reading

  • Redness or persistent irritation

  • Contact lens intolerance or dropout

  • Watery eyes (reflex tearing in response to dryness)

  • Difficulty in wind, low humidity, or air conditioning

MGD

is responsible for up to 86% of all dry eye disease

Your first visit

A Comprehensive Dry Eye Evaluation

Every patient begins with a dedicated 60-minute dry eye evaluation — one of the most thorough ocular surface assessments available in Connecticut.
We use objective, reproducible testing to identify exactly what type of dry eye you have and which structures are involved before recommending any treatment.

Powered by

Oculus 5M Keratograph

Our evaluation is anchored by the Oculus 5M — one of the most advanced ocular surface diagnostic platforms in clinical optometry. The Oculus 5M performs over 17 distinct measurements in a single, non-invasive session, giving us objective, reproducible data on every dimension of your tear film and meibomian gland health. No guesswork. No subjective estimates. Your treatment plan is built entirely on what the data shows.

17+

Diagnostic
Measurements

Meibography

Infrared imaging of your meibomian glands reveals their structure, identifies gland dropout (permanent loss), and maps the pattern of dysfunction — guiding which treatments will be most effective for your anatomy.

Non-Invasive Tear
Break-Up Time (NIBUT)

Measures how quickly your tear film destabilizes between blinks — objectively quantifying tear film stability and distinguishing evaporative from aqueous-deficient dry eye without any dye or contact.

Tear Meniscus Height

Precise measurement of the tear reservoir along the lower lid margin. A reduced meniscus height is a direct indicator of aqueous tear deficiency and lacrimal gland underperformance.

Bulbar & Limbal
Redness Grading

Objective, automated grading of conjunctival and limbal redness — removing subjective interpretation and providing a reproducible baseline to measure treatment-driven improvement in inflammation.

Slit Lamp & Vital
Dye Examination

Detailed examination of the cornea, conjunctiva, and eyelid margins using fluorescein and lissamine green dyes to detect staining patterns, surface damage, Demodex signs, and lid margin disease.

Diagnostic Meibomian
Gland Expression

Manual assessment of meibum quality and expressibility — from clear liquid to cloudy paste to solid toothpaste — grades the degree of gland obstruction and determines the priority of gland-opening therapy.

Diagnostic Eyelid
Debridement

Controlled removal of eyelid margin debris, biofilm, and collarettes under magnification — both assessing the degree of anterior lid disease and improving gland visibility and accessibility for subsequent imaging.

Corneal Sensitivity
Testing

Assessment of corneal nerve function using an esthesiometer — identifying reduced sensation associated with neurotrophic keratitis, diabetic corneal neuropathy, or post-surgical nerve damage that alters the dry eye picture.

Eyelid Seal Patency
& Lagophthalmos

Evaluation of whether the eyelids fully close during blinking and sleep. Nocturnal lagophthalmos (incomplete closure) causes exposure keratopathy and severely worsens dry eye — it must be identified and addressed in the treatment plan.

SPEED Symptom
Questionnaire

A validated symptom severity questionnaire completed at every visit. Tracks your subjective experience over time and serves as the patient-reported outcome measure for your entire treatment series.

Comprehensive
Clinical History

A thorough review of your medications, systemic conditions, hormonal status, contact lens history, occupation, environment, and prior treatments — because the cause of your dry eye shapes every aspect of the treatment plan.

Our technology

Advanced Treatment Modalities

Lighthouse Vision offers the most comprehensive dry eye treatment suite in Connecticut. Each modality addresses a specific mechanism of disease — and we combine them strategically based on your diagnostic profile.

Lumenis OptiLight IPL
IPL Intense Pulsed Light

IPL uses precisely calibrated pulses of broad-spectrum light to target the abnormal telangiectatic blood vessels along the eyelid margin that release pro-inflammatory mediators into the meibomian glands. By eliminating these vessels, IPL reduces the inflammatory cascade driving MGD, liquefies solidified meibum, and restores gland function. IPL is one of the most extensively studied dry eye treatments available, with the longest track record of efficacy. A standard course is four sessions, with maintenance treatments every six months to sustain results.

Photobiomodulation Therapy
LLLT — Low-Level Light Therapy

LLLT delivers low-level red and near-infrared light directly to the eyelid area, stimulating the mitochondria within meibomian gland acinar cells to increase cellular energy production. This photobiomodulation effect promotes gland secretion, reduces local inflammation, and improves the lipid layer of the tear film. LLLT is gentle and completely painless — patients describe it as warm and relaxing — and is effective across all degrees of MGD severity, from early-stage disease to advanced dysfunction. It is used both as a standalone treatment and as a core component of combined protocols alongside IPL and RF.

Bipolar Radiofrequency Therapy
RF — Radiofrequency

Bipolar radiofrequency energy delivers precisely controlled thermal stimulation to the meibomian glands and periorbital soft tissue. The heat softens solidified meibum, promotes gland expression, and drives significant collagen remodeling — resulting in visible, lasting eyelid tightening and improved structural support of the glands themselves. RF is particularly valuable when lid laxity contributes to gland dysfunction, and the skin-firming effect around the eyes is a meaningful functional benefit: tighter lids improve the mechanical seal of each blink, which is essential to spreading the tear film evenly across the corneal surface. RF is a key element of our combined treatment protocols.

iLux2 Meibomian Gland Treatment
Thermal Pulsation

The iLux2 system applies precisely controlled, sustained warmth to the lower eyelid and then the upper eyelid consecutively, followed by targeted mechanical expression to clear the softened, obstructed meibum from the meibomian gland orifices. The device monitors and adjusts heat in real time throughout the treatment, ensuring optimal gland opening while maintaining patient comfort. iLux2 thermal pulsation is one of the most direct interventions for obstructive MGD and delivers immediate, measurable improvement in gland expressibility and meibum quality.

Thermal 1-Touch Meibomian Gland Expression
Thermal MGE

The Thermal 1-Touch system applies controlled eyelid warming followed by manual expression of the meibomian glands, clearing obstructed orifices and improving oil secretion into the tear film. This treatment is performed at each session within our treatment protocols as a complement to IPL, LLLT, and RF, ensuring that the gland contents softened by energy-based therapies are effectively cleared and the glands are functioning optimally after each treatment.

Zocular Eyelid System Treatment
ZEST

ZEST is an in-office eyelid cleansing treatment using an okra-based polysaccharide gel to deep-clean the eyelid margins, lash follicles, and meibomian gland orifices. It physically removes the biofilm, bacterial debris, collarettes, and Demodex mite excretions that accumulate on the lids and block gland openings. ZEST is a foundational step in any dry eye treatment — you cannot effectively treat a meibomian gland that is coated in biofilm and debris. It is performed at the initial evaluation and at defined intervals throughout treatment protocols.

Rinsada Conjunctival Cleanse
Conjunctival Irrigation

Rinsada provides a thorough rinse and cleanse of the conjunctiva — the tissue lining the inner surface of the upper and lower eyelids. The treatment flushes out accumulated allergens, inflammatory particles, and irritants from the conjunctival fornices that cannot be reached by blinking or standard hygiene. By reducing the total inflammatory and allergenic burden on the ocular surface, Rinsada supports a calmer, less reactive tissue environment and enhances the effectiveness of the energy-based therapies that follow.

Amniotic Membrane Therapy
Regenerative Therapy

Self-retained amniotic membrane contains concentrated anti-inflammatory proteins, anti-fibrotic factors, and neurotrophic growth factors derived from human placental tissue. When placed on the surface of the eye, it actively reduces corneal and conjunctival inflammation, suppresses scarring, and accelerates epithelial regeneration. At Lighthouse Vision, amniotic membrane therapy is used in virtually all patients with Neurotrophic Keratoconjunctivitis (NKC) — a condition affecting approximately 95% of our dry eye patients, in which reduced corneal nerve signaling impairs the natural healing and maintenance of the ocular surface. Treatment is completed in 24 hours, making it one of the most time-efficient regenerative interventions in dry eye care.

Scleral Contact Lenses
Specialty Optics

For patients with severe aqueous-deficient dry eye, irregular corneas, or conditions that prevent adequate tear film maintenance, scleral contact lenses provide a fluid-filled reservoir that continuously bathes the corneal surface throughout wear. Scleral lenses vault entirely over the cornea and rest on the white of the eye (the sclera), eliminating lid-cornea friction and providing uninterrupted ocular surface hydration. They can be transformative for patients whose surface disease has made comfortable vision impossible — including those with Sjogren’s, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, post-surgical corneas, and keratoconus.

Is this you?

Who Should Schedule a Dry Eye Evaluation

Dry eye disease is significantly underdiagnosed. Many patients have been told their eyes look fine, or have been managing symptoms on their own for years. If any of the following describe you, a comprehensive evaluation is warranted.

Chronic eye
discomfort

You experience persistent burning, stinging, or discomfort that hasn't improved with drops or home remedies.

Contact lens
intolerance or dropout

you gave up on lenses because they became uncomfortable

Screen-related
eye fatigue

difficulty working on computers, phones, or reading for extended periods

Rosacea or
seborrheic dermatitis

these conditions drive MGD even when eye symptoms seem mild

Perimenopausal or
postmenopausal women

androgen decline is a primary driver of meibomian gland dysfunction

Sjogren’s syndrome,
rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus

inflammatory conditions with high dry eye prevalence

Diabetes

corneal sensory neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction both impair the tear-producing surface

Thyroid eye disease
or Graves’ disease

exposure keratopathy from lid changes requires targeted surface management

Prior LASIK, cataract,
or refractive surgery

surgical procedures frequently worsen underlying dry eye

Long-term oral contraceptive or
anti-androgen medication use

hormonal effects on meibomian gland secretion

Light sensitivity or
fluctuating vision

common signs of tear film instability from untreated MGD

Planning cataract
surgery

optimizing the ocular surface before surgery improves biometry accuracy and outcomes

Your eyes deserve more than managing symptoms.

Schedule a comprehensive dry eye evaluation with Dr. Dincher. We’ll identify what’s driving
your dry eye and build a treatment plan around the actual cause.