What Eye Drops Are Best for Dry Eye Relief?
September 6, 2011
What is the best eye drop option for treatment of dry eye?
Friends seeking dry eye relief have recommended drops such as Visine or TheraTears, and more recently RESTASIS.
Can someone provide feedback on the best eye drop option for dry eye relief. Please also mention any side effects.
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5 Responses to “What Eye Drops Are Best for Dry Eye Relief?”
moc.oohaynull@htlaeh4cc Is a free healing info desk. It aims at suggesting simple low cost natural solutions for common disorders. In all humility we want to share with you that many sufferers of dry eye syndrome found relief after taking electrolyte drinks at a daily basis. The test N11 w. 8 after two days had no longer need for dry eye drops. All involved in the experiment are between 30 and 60 years old. The 3 not successful are men in their forties who drink alcohol >3 glasses a day.
Great tip re: AzaSite – I’m looking forward to seeing if it carries all the benefits of oral doxycycline without the hassle of PO therapy. Do you have any comments on the role of vitamin C and E supplementation? I’ve found it helpful for RCE prophylaxis (1000mg C and 400IU E daily), but I’m wondering about a potential role in dry eye.
if the dry eye is due to meibomian gland dysfunction (blepharitis), then i love azasite- once a day for the first week or so, then 2x/week indefinitely.
Agreed re: Restasis; six to twelve months to show (and prove) effectivity, providing that your dry eye is secondary to aqueous deficiency – that is, a lack of watery tears secreted by your ‘main’ lacrimal (tear) gland. Many dry eyes are due to lipid deficiency – a lack of ‘oil production’ by glands in the eyelids that results in rapid tear evaporation, and secondary dry eye. In this case, an emulsion (like Refresh Ultra or Systane Balance), used regularly (at least twice daily, morning and evening) is often helpful. Advanced dry eye may also have a significant inflammatory component – this needs to be addressed before artificial tears will have maximal benefit. When the tear volume is low, the tears also become hypertonic (salty) – this increases inflammation and irritates the surface of the eye and the eyelids. A properly selected artificial tear +/- anti-inflammatory treatment can provide most patients with the relief they seek, although that relief may not be immediate. It’s also important to note that dry eye really can’t be ‘cured’, only managed.
restasis is a prescription that stimulates your eye to make its own tears. very safe drug. takes about 4 months to kick in, and probably has to be taken for at least a year for sustained effect.
artificial tears lubricate the eye. some are thicker, some have preservatives- just pick the one you like the best. dont use drops that “whiten the eye” or “get the red out”- you can quickly become dependent on that.
your doctor can also place plugs in your tear ducts, so you can hold on longer to the tears you make. takes 1 minute and painless.
