Tips to Help Dry Eyes

The itchy, painful feeling and redness--dry eyes can have an uncomfortable effect on your day. Dry eyes can be due to a number of factors, including atmospheric surroundings, such as wind, heat, or air conditioning; as a side effect of medications such as birth control pills, diuretics, or decongestants; as a result of conditions related to the eye; or decreased tear production associated with the aging process. Fortunately, there are treatments available to help make dry eyes a thing of the past.

Over-the-Counter Treatments

• For the most basic forms of dry eyes, people may feel relief through the use of eyedrops, which helps to lubricate and soothe the eye. For those who do not wear contact lenses, purchasing an artificial tears eye drop may provide relief and can be purchased at a local pharmacy.

  For more severe cases of dry eye, non-contact lens wearers can use an over-the-counter ointment applied at night to help prevent dryness while sleeping.

  Contact lens wearers can use a lens re-wetting drop to enhance how the contact fits on the eye, but may not reduce redness as effectively as artificial tears (which cannot be applied while a person is wearing contacts).

Additional Options

• Eyedrops don't have to be your only course of action. If you are a contact lens wearer, wearing your glasses may restore moisture to the eyes because contacts absorb a portion of your natural tears.

  Other methods to restore moisture include drinking plenty of water--at least eight to 10 glasses per day. If you have an occupation that requires you to view a computer screen for a prolonged period of time, frequently rest your eyes. A humidifier in your home or office also restores moisture in the air.

Supplements to Aid in Tear Production

• Nutritional supplements such as flax seed oil have been shown to improve the size and quality of the the tear layer on the eye. Available in pill or liquid form, use as directed.

  Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in oily fish or fortified milk and eggs, have anti-inflammatory properties and can improve the quality of tear secretions.

Help for the Dryest Eyes

• For some, over-the-counter remedies may not ease pain due to dry eyes. In these instances, an eye doctor may use a test known as the Schirmer tear test to measure how well your eyes produce tears. If you are shown to have a significant deficiency, a doctor may prescribe steroid eyedrops, which reduce inflammation.

  Another prescription medication that has been shown to help the eyes increase tear production is called Restasis. This FDA-approved eye drop is prescribed to treat chronic dry eye and contains a small amount of cyclosporine to reduce inflammation.

  Because dry eyes can be a result of an eyelid deformity that does not allow the eye to properly hydrate because of incomplete blinking, a plastic surgeon may reshape the eyelid. Your eye care professional should recommend a board-certified oculoplastic surgeon if this approach may benefit you.

  If the eyes are not draining tears properly, a procedure known as temporary punctual occlusion may be applied. This painless procedure applies a dissolving plug to the lower eyelid to hold tears in the eyelid. If this is effective, an eye doctor may apply a permanent plug, which may still be removed if necessary.

  Another surgical option is called thermal cautery. This approach is considered more permanent than the plug system because it uses a hot wire to close the tear duct. After numbing the eye, a doctor will apply a hot wire to reduce the drainage area so tears can remain on the eye longer.