06/10/2025
"When IPL Prevails" — Discover which types of dry eye disease respond best to this treatment option.
🔸Q: It seems many practices are recommending intense pulsed light (IPL) for most of their dry eye patients. Can it help all types of dry eye disease (DED) regardless of root cause?
🔸A: IPL therapy is the talk of the town, according to dry eye expert Erica Udell, OD, founder and director of Intown Dry Eye Care in Decatur, GA.
“Optometrists have used IPL for close to two decades, but its popularity seems to have exploded overnight,” she says. “While IPL is a helpful tool for the treatment of dry eye, it is important to understand its limitations.”
This treatment is effective for DED that involves meibomian gland disturbances, telangiectasias, inflammation and an overpopulation of microorganisms. Beyond these, research (such as the TFOS DEWS III) has shown that individuals with conditions such as blepharo-keratoconjunctivitis, Sjögren’s syndrome, glaucoma-related dry eye, refractive surgery-induced dry eye and neuropathic ocular pain may also benefit from IPL therapy.
Keep reading: https://www.reviewofoptometry.com/article/when-ipl-prevails
