Effective DRY EYE treatment

Your eyes need constant moisture and lubrication from your tears. Tears combine water for moisture, oils for lubrication, mucus for even spreading, antibodies and special proteins for resistance to infection. When the tiny glands around the eye malfunction, dry eyes result. Dry eyes may cause:

• Eye pain
• Itching and redness
• Blurred vision
• Light sensitivity
• Feelings of a foreign body, grit or sand in the eye

There is no cure for dry eyes, but effective dry eye treatment is available in several forms, including:

Artificial tears and ointments – The primary dry eye treatment. You can buy artificial teardrops over the counter. You might have to experiment to find the one that works best for you. If you have chronic dry eye, it is important to use the drops even when your eyes feel fine, to keep them lubricated. If your eyes dry out while you sleep, you can use a thicker lubricant, such as an ointment, at night.

Medications – Including topical steroids, these may also be beneficial some patients.

Restasis^® – This FDA-approved medication is for chronic dry eye treatment. It is the only prescription eyedrop that helps increase tear production.

Punctal occlusion – Sometimes it is necessary to close tear ducts. This may be done using temporary plugs that can be removed or will dissolve over a few days to determine whether permanent plugs can provide adequate tears. If temporary plugs work well, then longer-lasting plugs may be used. Permanent punctal occlusion will improve lubrication by keeping tears around the eyes. For most patients, the plugs improve comfort and reduce the need for artificial tears.

Surgery – In the most severe cases, tiny ducts that drain tears into the nose can be permanently closed to keep more tears around the eyes. This minor outpatient surgery under local anesthesia offers quick recovery.

TearLab – One of the latest devices in dry eye technology is the TearLab Osmolarity System. By using the TearLab, the doctors at Brazosport Eye Institute can quickly and painlessly measure a small sample of a patient’s tears to and get an objective number of the patients’ tear osmolarity to accurately determine how dry they truly are. These measurements with the TearLab test will helps the doctors at Brazosport Eye to diagnose, treat, and monitor a patient’s dry eyes.

Keeping up with the latest technology in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eyes, Brazosport Eye Institute was recently certified by TearLab as an “Accredited Dry Eye Center”. By being certified, Brazosport Eye Institute has demonstrated expertise and dedication to the providing the highest quality of dry eye care by using the most advanced diagnostic techniques and treatments in the management of dry eye disease. Dr. Jonathan Grady has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease

Let our exceptional team of ophthalmology doctors take care of your dry eyes. Trust Brazosport Eye Institute for state-of-the-art and personalized eye care. Call us at 979.297.2961 or fill out our online form to schedule your appointment with us. Our dry eye patients come to us from Angleton, Pearland, Lake Jackson, Freeport (Brazoria County, TX) and Bay City (Matagorda County, TX).