Dry Eye

Lubricating eye drops, gels, and ointments add moisture to your eye. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplements may also provide relief.

Anti-inflammatory eye drops help your eyes produce tears. Steroid and antibiotic eye drops may be prescribed to reduce inflammation in the glands. 

Silicone or collagen plugs close the holes in the corners of your eyelids where tears normally drain; instead, tears stay on the surface of your eye longer. 

If punctual plugs don’t work for you, your doctor may recommend this in-office procedure that permanently closes your tear drainage ducts. 

Special dome-shaped hard plastic contact lenses rest on the white part of your eye. A pool of saline solution lies underneath the large contact lens to lubricate your dry eye.

Bursts of light are directed at your lower-eyelid and upper-cheek areas to heat blocked eyelid glands. Then your glands are expressed to relieve material clogging your tear ducts, eyelids, and glands. Treatment typically consists of four initial monthly treatments, followed by biannual or annual treatments to maintain your results. This treatment is not covered by insurance.

This treatment can improve the health of the meibomian glands -- the oil glands on the edge of your eyelids where your eyelashes are located. After your eye is numbed with anesthetic drops, an eyepiece is placed between the upper and lower eyelids. It warms and massages your eyelids. The intensity gradually increases during the 12-minute session to express any blockages in the glands. After the procedure, you may have temporary eyelid redness for up to 24 hours. Relief from dry eye occurs during the next four to six weeks. This procedure may be repeated every nine to 24 months to maintain dry eye relief. It is not covered by insurance.

Heating the meibomian glands and manual expression can remove obstructions and encourage the glands to secrete more oils. A warming device is applied to the upper and lower eyelids. The heat gradually increases during the 15-minute session. Then, your doctor uses a tool to manually release any blockages in the glands. Dry eye relief occurs during the next four to six weeks. This procedure may be repeated every 6 to 12 months. It is not covered by insurance.