Often appears at the end of the day or after long screen time.
Dry eye diagnosis and treatment in Tallinn and Tartu
Dry eye needs a cause, not just drops.
When your eyes sting, tire, water or your vision turns blurry by evening, the KSA team helps you find the exact cause and put together a treatment plan that fits you.
- 45-minute exam, consultation and a clear next step
- Treatment matched to the cause: Rexon-Eye, punctal plugs or a home plan
- Tartu and Tallinn — same protocol, same team support
- Written report so you know exactly what’s happening with your eyes
Over 2000 dry-eye examinations a year. Estonia’s first clinic offering Rexon-Eye QMR therapy.
Sound familiar?
Dry eye doesn’t always mean just dryness.
Symptoms can be misleading. Often the real issue is that the tear film doesn’t stay stable on the eye long enough.
Excess tearing can also be a sign of dry eye, not its opposite.
Blinking briefly clears the picture, but the problem comes back.
Hard to keep your eyes open or stay focused in bright light.
As if there’s sand or an eyelash in your eye that won’t go away.
Especially common for people working at a screen all day.
How we help
A simple, clear, medically grounded path.
The goal isn’t to sell every patient the same solution — it’s to choose treatment based on which type of dry eye is actually affecting you.
1
We find the cause
During the exam we go over your symptoms, tear film stability and meibomian gland function to distinguish evaporative from aqueous-deficient dry eye.
2
We choose the right treatment
Where appropriate we use Rexon-Eye QMR therapy to support the lipid layer, or punctal plugs to keep moisture on the eye for longer.
3
You leave with a plan
Not just a “try some drops” recommendation, but a concrete treatment plan and a written report.
Why KSA
Trust you can verify quickly.
Contactless, painless treatment to support meibomian gland function.
Comprehensive dry-eye care experience inside the same clinical team.
A specialised workflow means a faster, more confident diagnosis.
Same service logic, same standard, same patient experience.
Pricing
Fewer choices, a clearer decision.
Dry eye does not go away with one treatment; it needs a plan. That’s why diagnostics, the Rexon-Eye course and a year of support are combined in one programme.
Dry eye programme
One year, 5 visits
Diagnostics, a Rexon-Eye course, clearing of blocked glands and a year of support.
349 €
a year · Tallinn only
- Dry eye diagnostics with Sirius: meibography, tear film break-up time, OSDI questionnaire and a written report
- A course of Rexon-Eye, 4 sessions – one per week
- Lid massage and expression of blocked meibomian glands after the second session
- A check and meibography comparison at the end of the course
- A digital treatment guide with videos
- Online prescriptions for eye drops when the doctor indicates them
- 24/7 patient support for the whole year
What the price includes
Programme and credit
Bought separately these examinations and treatments would cost around 440 €.
The programme accrues 87 € of credit to your KSA account, which can be used for treatment and treatment products at KSA. The credit is valid for five years from the last payment.
Read more about the programmePatient guide
What is actually behind dry eye.
Do your eyes feel scratchy, dry or burning after a long day in front of a screen or in an air-conditioned room? Or do you get unexpected watery eyes while reading or driving? Those are classic signs of dry eye syndrome, and it is one of the most common reasons patients visit an eye clinic.
Three layers of tear film, and the Meibomian glands
To maintain clear vision and comfort, the cornea must be continuously covered by a stable tear film. It is not simply water, but three balanced layers.
The outer layer, produced by the Meibomian glands along the eyelids. It prevents the watery layer underneath from evaporating and keeps the surface optically smooth.
The middle and thickest layer, produced by the lacrimal glands. It supplies oxygen, nutrients and electrolytes and clears debris from the cornea.
The inner layer, produced by conjunctival goblet cells. It binds the watery layer directly to the corneal surface.
Dry eye arises in two ways. Evaporative dry eye accounts for 80 to 85% of cases and is usually caused by Meibomian gland dysfunction: clogged oil glands leave a deficient lipid layer, and tears evaporate within seconds. Aqueous-deficient dry eye is reduced tear production by the lacrimal glands, associated with ageing, autoimmune conditions or medication.
That distinction decides the treatment. Which is why treatment does not start with a drop — it starts with a measurement.
Why it is so common now
During screen use, blinking drops by up to 60%, from 15 to 20 blinks a minute down to 5 to 7, and the blinks become incomplete. The tear film does not renew and breaks up.
Air conditioning, indoor heating, low humidity, dust and wind.
Lenses rest in the tear film and absorb moisture to hold their shape, altering tear stability and disturbing the Meibomian glands.
Tear production declines naturally with age. Decreased androgen and oestrogen levels put postmenopausal women at particular risk.
Antihistamines, blood pressure medication such as beta blockers, contraceptives, and systemic retinoids such as isotretinoin.
Mechanical flap creation severs corneal nerve endings, which reduces reflex tear production.
How dry eye is diagnosed
Fluorescein dye under slit-lamp blue light measures the seconds between the last blink and the first break in the tear film. Under 5 seconds indicates severe instability.
Calibrated paper strips placed in the lower lid for 5 minutes measure total aqueous tear volume.
Infrared imaging evaluates Meibomian gland structure, blockages and atrophy. At KSA this is done with the Schwind Sirius+.
Checks whether dryness has caused micro-defects or inflammation on the corneal surface.
Treatment options
Dry eye treatment is stepwise and depends on the cause. Usually it is not one thing but a combination.
Lubricating drops with hyaluronic acid or trehalose. They restore the aqueous layer without irritating the surface.
Thicker lipid-based formulations for overnight, when tear production is at its lowest.
A thermal mask at about 40 °C for 10 minutes a day plus lid massage. It melts hardened secretions in the Meibomian glands and restores the lipid layer.
The quantum molecular resonance therapy KSA uses: four sessions, once a week, through contact-free electrodes in a mask. It stimulates cell regeneration and reduces inflammation.
Small biocompatible plugs in the tear drainage ducts, which keep the patient’s own tears on the surface for longer.
Good-quality fish or sea buckthorn oil improves the chemical composition of the lipid the glands secrete and reduces inflammation.
Why we always check the tear film before a laser procedure
A comfortable tear film is the foundation of sharp vision and of a safe laser procedure. Before any refractive procedure, the Audit examination checks corneal integrity, tear film stability and ocular surface health. If active dry eye is found, preparatory lubricating treatment comes first.
Traditional LASIK relies on cutting a mechanical flap, which severs thousands of corneal nerves and often led to months or years of chronic dryness. The Flow3 surface procedure makes no incision and no flap, so the nerve plexus recovers quickly and the long-term dry eye risk stays lower. Many patients come to KSA precisely because dryness has made contact lenses impossible to wear.
Frequently asked
Answers patients look for before booking.
Why do my eyes water if I have dry eye syndrome?
This is the classic paradox. When your tear film breaks down and the cornea dries out, the brain receives an emergency signal and triggers the lacrimal gland to flood the eye with watery tears. Because those reflex tears lack protective oil, they run down your cheeks without lubricating the eye at all.
Can I use any over-the-counter eyedrops for dry eye?
Avoid drops with preservatives such as benzalkonium chloride, and avoid decongestant “redness-relief” drops, which constrict blood vessels. Long-term preservative use causes surface toxicity. Always choose preservative-free artificial tears containing hyaluronic acid or trehalose.
How can I protect my eyes when working on computers?
Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet, about 6 metres, away for 20 seconds, and make a conscious effort to blink fully several times. Preservative-free lubricating drops help through a long workday.
How do contact lenses contribute to dry eye?
Soft lenses sit in the tear film and absorb fluid to hold their shape. They also restrict oxygen reaching the cornea and can obstruct the Meibomian glands. If lenses become uncomfortable, the ocular surface needs a break and an alternative correction strategy.
Will I experience dry eyes after the Flow3 laser procedure?
Mild, temporary dryness is a normal part of healing for the first few weeks and is managed with preservative-free artificial tears. Because Flow3 is a touch-free, blade-free surface procedure with no flap, the corneal nerves are not cut, so sensation and natural tear production recover considerably faster than after traditional LASIK.
Do dietary omega-3 supplements help with dry eyes?
They can. Omega-3 fatty acids — in fish oil, flaxseed and sea buckthorn oil — improve the chemical quality of the lipid the Meibomian glands secrete, which stabilises the tear film and reduces surface inflammation.
Is Rexon-Eye painful?
No. Treatment is contactless and patients usually describe it as a mild warmth.
Aren’t eye drops enough?
Sometimes, but for many the root cause stays unresolved when meibomian gland function is disrupted.
How many sessions are usually needed?
The standard Rexon-Eye course is four sessions over four weeks; the final plan depends on the exam.
Does the health insurance fund cover this treatment?
Currently dry-eye treatment isn’t a reimbursed service, but instalment plans can be arranged on site.
Next step
Book a visit and find out why your eyes feel irritated.One visit. A clear diagnosis. A personal treatment plan. Tallinn or Tartu.