Chronic dry eye sufferers have eyes that burn and sting constantly. Vision may blur and the eyes may appear red. The condition develops as the result of low tear production and poor tear quality on the surface of the eye. Symptoms tend to increase with age and during periods of hormonal changes in women. In order to determine when to see a doctor or what the next step in treatment should be, chronic dry eye sufferers should know the treatment options available to make the best decision for their eyes.
Artificial Tears
Artificial tears may offer instant relief for many chronic dry eye sufferers. If used routinely throughout the day, symptoms may ease and comfort will improve. However, for many people, artificial tears do not resolve or treat the problem, and artificial tears simply ease symptoms for a brief period of time. For people who use artificial tears frequently throughout the day, preservative-free artificial tears are the best option. These drops do not contain additives that may cause eye irritation during long-term use. Chronic dry eye may also cause the eyes to feel painful, and in these situations, applying cold artificial tears, kept in the refrigerator, may ease discomfort right away.
Plugs
Severe cases of chronic dry eye may require punctual plugs. These tiny, usually silicone, plugs close off the lacrimal duct, also known as the tear duct, to prevent tears from draining. Since the tears cannot drain, they coat the eye's surface. This simple procedure resolves chronic dry eye for many patients.
During an office appointment, the doctor will use an eye drop to numb the surface of the eye, which also numbs the rims of the eyelid. He then will use a punctual dilator, a thin metal rod, to open up the tear duct, located on the bottom eyelid near the nose. Once he opens the duct, he will insert the plug to complete the procedure. The drawback to this procedure is that the plugs often fall out on their own or with eye rubbing.
Eyelid Repair
Chronic dry eye may also result from eyelids that do not function properly. For normal eyelids, blinking moves the tears across the eye, coating the eye with a tear film that soothes and protects the eye's surface. If the upper eyelids turn up, causing the eyelashes to curl in and touch the eyelid itself, or if the bottom lid flips under, this creates a gap between the top and bottom eyelids during a blink. For other people, the eyelids turn in, scraping the eye's surface with eyelashes and creating the space between closed eyelids. Both of these conditions require surgery to repair the conditions.
