Geelong Eye Health
We listen
We review when symptoms happen, what you already use and how your eyes affect work, sleep and daily life.
Dry Eye Clinic in Geelong West.
Dry, gritty, burning, watery or light-sensitive eyes, especially when drops only help briefly. We investigate the likely contributors, explain what we find and build an individual management plan.
Dry eye assessment in Geelong
Why do dry-eye symptoms keep returning?
Dry eye is not always a simple lack of tears. Burning, grittiness, watering, tired eyes and fluctuating vision can involve the tear film, eyelids, oil glands, inflammation, allergy, overnight exposure or more than one contributor at once.
A dedicated assessment connects your symptoms with what is happening on the eye surface, so any management options can be based on your findings rather than another guess.
We examine
We assess the tear film, eyelids, lid margins and meibomian glands, supported by imaging where useful.
We explain
You see the findings and receive a clear plan, including the purpose and cost of any suggested in-room treatment.
Before choosing a treatment
The right option depends on what the assessment finds
Treatments such as eyelid cleansing, Rinsada irrigation, meibomian gland expression or IPL address different findings. They are not interchangeable, and not everyone needs an in-room treatment.
That is why the page starts with symptoms and assessment, then shows the available treatments and their prices below.
Drops only helping briefly?
Our patient guide explains why relief may not last and what a closer assessment can investigate.
Read the dry-eye guide →Ready to understand what may be driving your symptoms?
Book a 60-minute dry-eye assessment in Geelong West and bring the drops or products you already use.
Book a Dry Eye AssessmentStep 1: Does this sound like you?
Do any of these sound familiar?
Dry eye has several different drivers, so every one of these starts the same way: with an assessment that looks for likely contributors.
My eyes are dry, gritty or burning and drops aren’t helping enoughStart with the assessment: it looks for likely contributors before any treatment is recommended.Typical gap$228Dry Eye Full Consultation →My eyelids are itchy, crusty or inflamedOften lid-margin disease. The assessment confirms it, then a ZEST lid treatment may follow.Typical gap$228Dry Eye Full Consultation →My eyes water constantlyWatering can be dryness or a drainage problem. We check which one before treating it.Typical gap$228Dry Eye Full Consultation →I have rosacea or ongoing eyelid inflammationCommonly meibomian gland dysfunction. IPL may be suitable once we have assessed your glands.Typical gap$228Dry Eye Full Consultation →
Still not sure? Call 03 4243 3344 and we’ll help you choose the right appointment.
Cost of inaction
The expensive part of dry eye is often ignoring it.
A dry eye assessment has a visible price. The hidden cost is the daily friction: screens you avoid, work that feels harder, evenings cut short, and the mental load of trying another drop without understanding the likely contributors to your symptoms.
That is the useful comparison: not "is this more than a quick eye test?", but "what is this already costing me in comfort, focus and quality of life?"
The hidden cost of leaving it$14,078in indirect costs per affected patient, every year.Australian research in glaucoma patients with significant ocular surface disease. It does not mean every dry eye patient carries that cost.
WorkScreen time, concentration and productivity can suffer.
LifeReading, driving, TV and evenings may feel harder than they should.
MoneyResearch links ocular surface disease with indirect costs such as lost productivity.
If lubricating drops provide only temporary relief, read why dry eyes may not improve with eye drops and what a detailed assessment can investigate.
Step 2: Book it
Assessment & treatment prices
Dry eye care starts with the assessment: it helps us decide which options may be suitable for your findings and circumstances. Prices are the typical gap after your Medicare rebate.
Dry Eye Full Consultation
- About 60 min
- Tear-film & gland imaging
- Follow-up recommended
For you if your eyes are sore, gritty, watery or burning, especially if symptoms keep returning or standard drops have not helped.
You typically pay
$228*
*The full $295 clinic fee must be paid upfront.Clinic fee $295Medicare rebate ≈ $67
What’s included & how it works
- Who it's for
- People with sore, gritty, watery, burning, tired, fluctuating or red eyes, especially if symptoms keep returning or haven't improved with standard eye drops.
- How it helps
- A full assessment investigates likely contributors such as meibomian gland dysfunction, tear film instability, blepharitis or inflammation, so your management plan can be tailored to your findings.
- How long it takes
- Usually 60 minutes.
- How many sessions
- Most people start with an initial evaluation and at least one follow-up, then ongoing reviews based on severity and progress.
Book this appointment →Secure online booking · Medicare rebate claimed in clinic
ZEST
- About 15 min
- Eyelid deep clean
- May be repeated
For you if your eyelids are itchy, crusty or inflamed, or your dry eye is linked to lid hygiene and biofilm build-up.
You typically pay
$145*
*The full $179 clinic fee must be paid upfront.Clinic fee $179Medicare rebate ≈ $34
What’s included & how it works
- Who it's for
- People with blepharitis, lid margin debris, crusting, itchy eyelids, demodex-related lid disease, or dry eye linked to poor eyelid hygiene and biofilm build-up, including recurrent corneal erosion or ongoing inflammation.
- How it helps
- ZEST is a gentle deep-cleaning treatment for the eyelids and lashes that removes debris, biofilm and residue. Some people report that their eyes feel cleaner and more refreshed afterwards.
- How long it takes
- Usually around 15 minutes.
- How many sessions
- Some notice improvement after one treatment; repeat sessions may be recommended depending on inflammation, biofilm or demodex present.
Book this appointment →Recommended after a dry eye assessment · Secure online booking
Rinsada
- About 10–15 min
- Eyelid irrigation
- Often combined
For you if irritants, allergens or biofilm may be sitting under your eyelids where ordinary rinsing cannot reach.
You typically pay
$105*
*The full $139 clinic fee must be paid upfront.Clinic fee $139Medicare rebate ≈ $34
What’s included & how it works
- Who it's for
- Patients with dry eye, blepharitis, allergy-related irritation, biofilm build-up, or ongoing ocular surface inflammation that may be hiding under the lids.
- How it helps
- An eye irrigation treatment that flushes irritants, bacteria, allergens and inflammatory material from deeper under the eyelids, where standard rinsing often cannot reach.
- How long it takes
- Usually around 10 to 15 minutes, and it may be combined with other dry eye treatments.
- How many sessions
- Depends on the inflammation and build-up present; some have it stand-alone, others as part of a staged plan.
Book this appointment →Recommended after a dry eye assessment · Secure online booking
Meibomian Gland Expression
- About 10–20 min
- Clears blocked glands
- Often follows heat treatment
For you if your oil glands are blocked or sluggish, so your tears evaporate faster than they should.
You typically pay
$65*
*The full $99 clinic fee must be paid upfront.Clinic fee $99Medicare rebate ≈ $34
What’s included & how it works
- Who it's for
- Patients with blocked or sluggish meibomian glands, thickened gland oils, evaporative dry eye, or lid tenderness linked to meibomian gland dysfunction.
- How it helps
- Clears blocked gland openings and expresses stagnant oil, improving the oily layer of the tear film so tears evaporate more slowly.
- How long it takes
- Usually around 10 to 20 minutes, often after heat-based treatment or as part of an in-room dry eye session.
- How many sessions
- Some need occasional treatment; others benefit from repeated sessions as part of a longer-term plan.
Book this appointment →Recommended after a dry eye assessment · Secure online booking
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
- About 15–30 min
- Course of 5 is common
- Rosacea-related dry eye
For you if you have meibomian gland dysfunction, eyelid inflammation or facial rosacea and need more than lubricants and warm compresses.
You typically pay
$261*
*The full $295 clinic fee must be paid upfront.Clinic fee $295Medicare rebate ≈ $34
What’s included & how it works
- Who it's for
- Patients with meibomian gland dysfunction, eyelid inflammation, facial rosacea or chronic evaporative dry eye who need more than lubricants and warm compresses.
- How it helps
- Targets abnormal blood vessels and inflammation around the eyelids while helping improve oil gland performance and tear film stability.
- How long it takes
- Usually around 15 to 30 minutes per session.
- How many sessions
- A course of five sessions is common, with maintenance treatments considered depending on your response.
Book this appointment →Recommended after a dry eye assessment · Secure online booking
Nasolacrimal Lavages
- About 15–30 min
- Tear drainage flush
- Often a one-off
For you if your eyes water constantly and the tear drainage system may be blocked rather than dry.
You typically pay
$55*
*The full $89 clinic fee must be paid upfront.Clinic fee $89Medicare rebate ≈ $34
What’s included & how it works
- Who it's for
- People with watery eyes, suspected blockage of the tear drainage system, or symptoms suggesting poor tear drainage rather than classic dry eye alone.
- How it helps
- Helps assess and flush the tear drainage pathway, which can identify or relieve blockage and clarify why the eyes are watering.
- How long it takes
- Usually around 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the case.
- How many sessions
- Often performed as a one-off procedure or assessment, though further treatment or referral may be needed if a blockage is confirmed.
Book this appointment →Recommended after a dry eye assessment · Secure online booking
ⓘ How the pricing works (Medicare, rebates, eligibility)
The large figure is the typical gap after the usual Medicare rebate. The full clinic fee is paid upfront, then the eligible rebate is claimed at the front desk. The clinic fee and typical rebate are shown beside each price. Eligibility and the final rebate can vary depending on your Medicare history, so if you would like your exact figure confirmed first, call us on 03 4243 3344. Glasses and contact lenses are quoted separately.
Before you book
What your visit actually looks like
No conveyor belt, no clock-watching, and no surprise invoice at the end.
Step 1
A 60-minute assessment
We measure the tear film, the oil glands and the lid margins to look for likely contributors to your symptoms.
Step 2
A plan with prices attached
You get a plan in plain English, including which in-room treatments may be suitable and exactly what each one costs.
Step 3
We re-measure
Follow-ups compare against your first results, so changes can be measured and the plan reassessed.
Other care we offer
Not sure it’s dry eye?
If you are mainly due for a routine examination or a new prescription, or you need a diabetic or VicRoads check, start on one of these pages instead.
Ready when you are.
Secure online booking: your chosen appointment is carried through to the booking form.
Book the Dry Eye Full ConsultationDry Eye Full Consultation: $228Typical gap after Medicare
Book now