Dry eye treatment in Medellín
First we find out why your eye dries out; then the treatment is chosen, going beyond artificial tears
Burning, a gritty feeling, red eyes or vision that comes and goes when you blink. Dry eye can come from too few tears or from eyelid glands that are not working well, and each cause is treated differently: lubricants and eyelid hygiene, IPL intense pulsed light, gland expression or tear duct plugs. MDE Care is not a clinic: we arrange your assessment with the ophthalmologist, your tests and your treatment in Medellín.
Treatment based on the cause
not just artificial tears
What type of dry eye do you have?
Tick what you feel and what applies to you. We show you how intense it seems, which type it points to, what the assessment measures and how much the next step costs.
1What do you feel in your eyes?
Tick all that apply.
2How often?
3Which of these factors apply?
They help show which type your dry eye points to.
4Do you already use artificial tears without improvement?
5What is your skin like?
It matters to know whether IPL intense pulsed light is an option for you.
6Do you have a fleshy growth on your eye?
Mild dry eye: start with lubricants and hygiene
Points to evaporative: meibomian glands
You ticked burning or grittiness, worse with screens or air conditioning, sometimes. With occasional symptoms, the usual approach is to start with lubricants, eyelid hygiene and habits. If you do not improve, the assessment with tests defines the next step.
Next step
- Artificial tears and breaks from screens
- Eyelid hygiene and warm compresses
- An assessment with tests if symptoms persist
What the assessment measures
- History of symptoms, habits and medication
- Tear volume: Schirmer test
- Tear stability: tear breakup time
- Meibomian glands and eyelid margins
- Gland imaging: meibography
Estimated price of the assessment
COP 320,000to COP 600,000
Consultation with tear film and gland tests.
* Estimated prices, confirmed at the assessment. This is guidance, not a diagnosis.
How much dry eye treatment costs in Medellín
Build your case: the assessment with tests, pulsed light sessions, tear duct plugs and, if you have a growth that needs removing, pterygium surgery. We show you the estimated total in Colombian pesos or US dollars.
First, the assessment
Everything starts with the dry eye assessment: the ophthalmologist measures how many tears you produce, how stable they are and the state of your eyelid glands. With that, they define whether your dry eye comes from low tear production, is evaporative or mixed, and which treatment fits.
What is included
- Consultation with the ophthalmologist
- Tests of tear volume and tear stability
- Meibomian gland evaluation and treatment plan
- Follow-up visits, some remote when the specialist considers it safe
What changes the price
- The type of dry eye the tests show
- Whether your skin type allows IPL
- The assigned clinic and specialist
1. Dry eye assessment with tests
2. IPL intense pulsed light
For evaporative dry eye. COP 850,000 to COP 1,300,000 per session, reference estimate. Not suitable for dark or very pigmented skin.
3. Other in-office treatments
4. Pterygium surgery (growth on the eye)
Prescription drops for inflammation: they have no fixed price here, the specialist chooses them at the assessment based on your case.
Estimated total
COP 320,000to COP 600,000
Assessment with tests
Breakdown
- Dry eye assessment with testsCOP 320,000 to COP 600,000
- Prescription dropsChosen by the specialist
* Estimated prices, confirmed at the assessment. This is guidance, not a diagnosis.
What dry eye is
Dry eye, also called dry eye syndrome, is a condition in which the balance of the tear film breaks down. It happens because the eye produces too few tears, or because the tears it produces are of poor quality and evaporate too quickly.
Either way, you get dryness, burning, a gritty feeling and red eyes. That is why artificial tears alone do not solve it: when the cause is clogged meibomian glands, at the edge of the eyelids, the treatment has to target those glands.
The first step is to measure your tears and check the glands to know which type of dry eye you have. If you have never had an eye exam, you can start with a full eye assessment.
A tear film out of balance
Too few tears or poor quality ones: the result is an irritated eye surface.
First, the cause
Tear film and gland tests define which treatment makes sense for you.
Managed with consistency
It is usually chronic: the plan combines treatments and follow-up, not a single session.
The two types of dry eye
Many people have a mix of both. Knowing which one weighs more is what defines the treatment.
Low tear production
The eye does not make enough tears. It is linked to age, hormonal changes, conditions such as Sjögren syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis, and some medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants and blood pressure drugs.
Usually treated with lubricants and tear duct plugs
Evaporative, from the meibomian glands
The glands along the eyelid margin do not release enough oil and tears evaporate too soon. It often comes with inflamed eyelids, crusting or blepharitis, and gets worse in front of screens.
Usually treated with eyelid hygiene, gland expression and IPL
Dry eye symptoms and risk factors
If any of these symptoms keeps coming back, an assessment is worth it.
Symptoms
Risk factors
How dry eye is diagnosed
The assessment goes beyond asking about symptoms: it measures your tears and checks your eyelids.
When diabetes or an autoimmune disease is behind the dry eye, care may be shared with internal medicine.
Dry eye treatment, step by step
The plan is built around the cause and usually combines several steps. The specialist chooses which ones fit your case.
Lubricants and habits
Artificial tears, blinking on purpose, breaks from screens, a humidifier and protecting your eyes from wind and sun.
The base of almost every plan
Eyelid hygiene and heat
Warm compresses and cleaning the eyelid margins to soften the oil in the glands and control blepharitis.
Done at home, daily
IPL intense pulsed light
Pulses of light on the skin near the eyelids to reduce inflammation and help unclog the meibomian glands. Each session takes about 5 to 10 minutes and 3 or 4 initial sessions are usual.
COP 850,000 to COP 1,300,000 per session
Gland expression
In the office, with heat and gentle pressure, the oil built up in the glands is released so the tear film gets its protective layer back.
Quoted at the assessment
Tear duct plugs
Tiny devices in the drainage ducts so natural tears stay on the eye longer. There are temporary ones and semi-permanent silicone ones, which can be removed.
COP 250,000 to COP 1,000,000 per procedure
Prescription medication
Drops that control inflammation of the eye surface when the previous steps are not enough. The specialist chooses and adjusts them.
Chosen by the specialist
IPL is not for every skin type
On dark or very pigmented skin, pulsed light is not recommended because it raises the risk of burns or dark spots. In Colombia this applies to many people, so the specialist assesses your skin type before recommending it. If IPL is not an option, the plan relies on eyelid hygiene, gland expression and the other steps.
Estimated prices, confirmed at the assessment.
Growth on the eye (pterygium)
If besides dry eye you have a growth on your eye, it is checked at the same assessment.
What it is
A pterygium, often called a fleshy growth on the eye or surfer’s eye, is a growth of tissue with blood vessels on the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers the white of the eye. It can gradually spread over the cornea. It is linked to exposure to sun, wind and dust, and it is not a cancerous tumor.
Not every pterygium needs surgery. If it is small and causes no trouble, it is managed with lubricants and sunglasses. It can cause symptoms similar to dry eye, such as burning or red eyes, so it is worth checking it together with your tears.
If surgery is needed, it is outpatient, under local anesthesia, and the eye stays patched for the first 24 hours. Estimate: COP 1,800,000 to COP 3,000,000 per eye.
When it is removed
When it spreads toward the center of the cornea, causes astigmatism or blurry vision, or keeps irritating the eye without improving with drops. Ideally it is removed before it reaches the center.
With a graft, so it does not come back
The pterygium is removed and the area is covered with healthy conjunctiva from the same eye. It is the technique that most reduces regrowth, compared with removing it without a graft.
It can come back
Without a graft, the reported recurrence is around 30 to 40 percent, and it is more common in people under 40. After surgery, protecting your eyes from the sun is part of the treatment.
With treatment: what changes and what does not
It is chronic
In most cases dry eye does not go away completely: it is kept under control.
Symptoms usually improve
With the right treatment for your type of dry eye and good habits, discomfort usually drops noticeably.
Not solved in one session
The plan combines steps and follow-up. IPL, for example, is usually repeated several times a year.
Remote follow-up
Later follow-up visits can be done remotely when the specialist considers it safe. Useful if you do not live in Medellín.
Dry eye treatment at a glance
| Assessment with tests | Consultation, tear film and gland tests. COP 320,000 to COP 600,000 |
|---|---|
| IPL session | About 5 to 10 minutes; usually 3 or 4 initial sessions, then a reassessment |
| Maintenance | IPL is usually repeated several times a year |
| Tear duct plugs | In the office, sometimes with anesthetic drops |
| Hospital stay | No. Everything is done in the office |
| Back to normal life | Right away, after both IPL and plugs |
| Pterygium surgery | Outpatient, local anesthesia, eye patch for the first 24 hours |
| Follow-up | Can be done remotely when the specialist considers it safe |
Why arrange your dry eye treatment with MDE Care
We are not a clinic: we are your coordination team. We connect you with ophthalmologists and accredited clinics in Medellín.
Assessment with tests
We take you to a consultation that measures your tears and glands, not just a prescription for drops.
Clear price for each step
You know from the start how much the assessment, each session and each procedure cost.
Coordination from start to finish
Assessment, sessions, follow-up and, if you travel, the logistics of your stay in Medellín.
Organizations that support our work
How we arrange your dry eye treatment
Guided support from your first message through your follow-up visits.
Tell us your case
Message us on WhatsApp with your symptoms or your self-check result.
Assessment
The ophthalmologist measures your tears and checks your eyelids.
Plan
Defines your type of dry eye and the steps that fit you.
Treatment
IPL, gland expression, plugs or pterygium surgery, depending on your case.
Follow-up
In person and remotely when the specialist considers it safe.
Most common questions about dry eye
Can dry eye be cured?
What is IPL intense pulsed light and how much does it cost?
What are punctal plugs?
Why do my eyes water if they are dry?
Do screens cause dry eye?
Can I have LASIK if I have dry eye?
What is pterygium and when is it operated on?
How much does a dry eye consultation cost?
Artificial tears no longer enough?
Tell us your symptoms and we will help you book an assessment that looks for the cause.
Other ophthalmology procedures
Ready to treat your dry eye?
Write to us with your symptoms or your self-check result. We arrange your assessment, tests, treatment and follow-up in Medellín, with a clear price from the first message.