What is Dry Eye Treatments ?

There are a number of dry eye treatments available.  The choice of treatment is highly dependent on the type of dry eye condition a person has and this is best determined by an ophthalmologist who has expertise in the Cornea and Ocular surface.  Dry eye can be evaporative, aqueous deficient and/or inflammatory in nature.  Often there are specific causes for dry eye which need to be addressed specifically.

Treating Dry Eye

Avoid anything that can aggravate dryness, such as:

• Very warm rooms (a humidifier may help)
• Hair driers
• Smoke
• Wind
• Contact lenses
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
• HRT can aggravate dry eye. There is some evidence that, in older women, hormone replacement therapy makes dry eye worse

Punctal Occlusion (punctal plugs) may be an option offered by your ophthalmologist in severe cases. This involves blocking ducts within your eyelid.

The ducts carry tears away from the eye to the nose (the reason why the nose gets stuffy when you cry). Again this is an option best advised by your doctor after careful analysis. Used incorrectly punctal occlusion can sometimes cause more problems especially in inflammatory dry eye.

Warm Compresses and Scrubs

This is often used to treat blepharitis and meibomian gland disease (MGD). The oil-secreting glands in the eyelids get blocked up and as a result there is very little oil in the tear film leading to evaporative dry eye. Blepharitis is one of several conditions that can contribute to dry eye. Your doctor will be able to advise the best approach to your dry eye. Centre for Sight staff will advise how best to perform warm compresses and scrubs.

Dry Eye Treatments