Dry eyes are caused by a lack of adequate tear production or the quality of the tear production. There are diagnostic tests that assist the physician in diagnosing the severity of ocular surface disease.
There are effective treatments for Ocular surface disease that will help reduce symptoms and discomfort experienced by patients with dry eyes.
New treatments are also available for dry eye patients. Meibomian Gland probing is a new treatment that is highly effective in relieving inflammatory symptoms that also contribute to dry eyes.
A valuable tool in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eyes is a patient self-assessment. Click the button below to take the dry eye quiz.
- Artificial tears, which are purchased over-the-counter in the eye care section of local pharmacies. There are many types of artificial tears available. At DOCS we can suggest what type of tears will be most effective.
- Punctal Plugs which are placed in the openings in the corner of the eye (the “puncta”) to assist your natural tears in staying longer on the surface of the eye and help keep your eye lubricated longer.
Prescription medications are also considered for the treatment of chronic dry eye. The most popular prescription medication is Restasis® which is applied to the eyes two times per day. Restasis® has been shown to be effective in increasing tear production cause by ocular inflammation.