Are Prescription Eye Drops the Only Answer to My Dry Eye Condition?

Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears to keep them hydrated and healthy.

Your eyes contain glands in and around the eyelids that secrete tears onto the eye’s surface. When you blink, the lids spread those tears across the cornea, the clear membrane at the front of the eye that covers and protects it.

Tears are important for good vision, partly because they moisten the eye’s surface and partly because they wash away foreign matter like dust, grit, and germs.

If you produce too many tears, ducts in the inner corners of your eyelids drain them down the back of your nose.

At Omphroy Eye Care, board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Luis Omphroy and our staff understand how uncomfortable dry eye can be and how problematic it can be for your eye health if left untreated. That’s why we offer state-of-the-art treatments at our Aiea, Hawaii, office, so your eyes remain moist and healthy.

The causes of dry eye

Dry eye often results from an imbalance between tear production and duct drainage. People with dry eye can have one or more of the following: too few tears, tears of an inferior quality, blocked ducts, or all of the above.

The leading reasons for insufficient tear production are:

Aging
Gland problems (don’t secrete enough good-quality tears)
Duct problems or blockage
Underlying medical conditions (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, thyroid problems)
Medication side effects
Environmental factors (e.g., wind and heated dry air)

Normal, healthy tears contain three layers: oil, water, and mucus. If the eye doesn’t produce all the layers or if they’re not of good quality, the resulting tears won’t spread evenly, leaving dry patches. They would also be too watery, leading to spillage, or they may evaporate too quickly.

All of these scenarios lead to dry eye disease.

While you might think watery eyes wouldn’t be a symptom of dry eye syndrome, it's actually a common one. The eye tries to lubricate itself when the tears are of poor quality, but the tears it can produce only stem from the watery layer, so your eyes constantly fill with watery tears.

Are prescription eye drops the only answer to my dry eye?

No, they’re not. For mild cases, prescription lubricating drops or eyelid scrubs are appropriate treatments and can reduce the burning and gritty feeling characteristic of the condition.

But for long-term relief, we provide two options:

Silicone or gel plugs implanted into tear ducts to prevent drainage (a reversible procedure)
Surgery to close the tear ducts (a nonreversible procedure)

Dr. Omphroy also offers newer treatments, including intense pulsed light therapy and amniotic membrane grafts. He discusses all your options, as well as benefits and risks, at your evaluation.

There are also things you can do on your own to help. If your dry eye isn’t too uncomfortable, over-the-counter remedies are the best place to start. They’re available at any pharmacy and come in gels, ointments, and drops. Choose whichever one works best for you.

Other at-home remedies that may prove handy, including: