Which Dry Eye Treatment is Best for Your Condition?

If you regularly experience scratchy, dry, stiff eyes then you may be suffering from a condition called dry eyes or dry eye syndrome. Although you may not have heard of it, it is a very common problem and most people will experience it at least once during their lifetime. Many cases do not require professional attention, but if your symptoms become chronic or are interfering in your day to day life, you may wish to seek treatment from your eye doctor.

There are a variety of different treatments to choose from, so selecting the right one may seem overwhelming. Fortunately, our eye care specialists are on hand to make a recommendation based on your individual needs.

 

Basic Dry Eye Treatments

These will be the first treatments that your eye doctor will recommend that you try to combat your dry eye syndrome.

Eye drops

Eye drops are nearly always the very first course of treatment that is recommended for patients with dry eyes. There are a variety of different types of eye drops, and many patients find that they need to try several in order to find the one that works the best for them. The three main types of eye drops are:

Artificial tears: designed primarily to lubricate the eyes with, as you may have guessed, a substance that replicates natural tear film. They keep the eyes moist and more comfortable.

Cyclosporine drops: these are only available with a prescription and work by treating infections that cause dry eyes. This medication also prompts the glands to make more tears.

Inflammation-reducing eyedrops: there are several varieties of eye drops that contain ingredients that work to reduce inflammation that is causing dry eyes.

Preservative or non-preservative eyedrops? This is an important decision that you will need to make when choosing artificial tears. Preservatives help to give these eyedrops a longer shelf-life. However, many people are hypersensitive to preservatives and this can actually make your dry eyes more severe. Your eye doctor will be able to recommend whether to choose eye drops containing preservatives or whether to go for a preservative-free type.

Punctual plugs

Punctual plugs are the name given to tiny devices that are placed into the drainage channels of your eyes to prevent tear film from leaving the surface of the eye too quickly. This means that the moisture will remain on the eyes for longer, helping the eyes to stay lubricated and comfortable.

 

Advanced Dry Eye Treatments

There are several different advanced dry eye treatments that you may be recommended to try if the basic solutions do not offer enough relief from your symptoms.

Lipiflow

Lipiflow is a cutting-edge treatment for dry eyes that uses electronic thermal pulses in order to stimulate the meibomian glands which are responsible for producing the oil that is present in the tear film. Precise heat is applied to the inner eyelids, which are then gently massaged using the pulses so that any blockages are removed, and normal production of the oils can be resumed.

IPL

Intense pulsed light treatment, or IPL for short, is another advanced treatment for dry eyes. Again, this treatment works by stimulating the meibomian glands in order to clear blockages and prompt the natural production of oils for tear film. This treatment uses pulses of laser energy in a painless and non-invasive process.

Glycerine dry eye treatment

Glycerine dry eye treatment involves the use of eyedrops where one of the key ingredients is glycerine. Glycerine is a highly effective lubricant that has been proven to be successful in relieving dry, irritated eyes when used in eyedrops. Unlike other eyedrops, those which contain glycerine tend to have a milky appearance. It is important that you use these, like other varieties of eyedrop, as directed by the instructions that come with the product.

For more advice on dry eye treatments, please speak to our expert team of eye care specialists in Rosedale Auckland today.