Artificial tears are a type of eye drops that are designed to increase the moisture on the surface of the eye and combat the symptoms of dry eyes. It’s best to use artificial tears when you are feeling discomfort from your dry eye. Artificial tears can be used very frequently throughout the day and preventatively when you find yourself in situations when it may be excessively windy or smoky. Our doctors recommend using a lubricating tear drop such Systane, Refresh, Blink, or Theratears.

Prescription drops is a second line of defense of a patient who finds that artificial tears just aren’t enough relief throughout the day. There are several different manufactures that make dry eye relief drops such as Restatsis, Xiidra or Klarity. Your doctor can discuss these options with you and when you may be ready to take this next step. We do have to work with patients to find the best drop that will be covered by their insurance provider.

Dry Eye Kit – Our doctors have put together an array of products that they feel like will best treat the common dry eye symptoms is most patients. The kit contains a hot/cold compress mask, a lid/lash cleanser and artificial tears. This is the most cost-effective way to get everything you need to treat your dry eye symptoms. Stop by our office and pick yours up today!

Lid Scrubs and Warm Compresses effectively removes excess oil and debris from the eyelids that may lead to eye irritation including blepharitis or dry eyes. There are several different kinds of lid scrubs some of which are over the counter such as: OcuSoft and prescription such as: Avenova or Bruder. We have several available in our office for anyone who feels like eyelid irritation maybe causing their dry eye. This is something you should discuss with your doctor.

Punctal Plugs are tiny medical devices that sit in the tear ducts in the eyes to help prevent tears draining away, which helps to keep the eyes moist. They are usually considered when non-prescription or prescription eye drops fail to relieve your dry eye condition.

• Semi-permanent, typically made of long-lasting materials such as silicone.
• Dissolvable, made of materials such as collagen.
• Temporary or dissolvable punctal plugs usually last from a few days to as long as several months. These types of plugs would be used in circumstances such as preventing dry eyes after LASIK.
• Dissolvable, temporary punctal plugs sometimes are used to determine if the treatment works for your dry eye condition. If so, then semi-permanent punctal plugs might be considered.

Omega 3s – Fatty acids - An omega-3-rich diet helps glands in your eye called meibomian glands make the oily part of your tears. The oil helps keep your tears from drying up too quickly in your eye. Having dry eyes can be irritating as there are not enough fluids to moisturize your eyes. Not only that, waking up be difficult because there are crusts forming on your eyelids. With omega-3 fatty acids, you will find that it is easier to maintain the fluids in your eyes so there won’t be any irritation, itching, and discomfort too. If you want to protect your eyes against aging, the best omega 3 supplements come highly recommended. This is because the fatty acids in these supplements can help you strengthen the nerves of your eyes and combat any inflammation so macular degeneration won’t happen too soon.