Can I Treat My Dry Eyes with Over-the-Counter Remedies?

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

Your eyes contain glands located in and around the eyelids, and they secrete tears onto the eye’s surface. Each time you blink, both your upper and lower lids spread those tears across the cornea, the clear membrane that covers and protects the eye. 

Tears are important, because they not only moisten the eye surface, but they also wash away foreign matter like dust, grit, and germs, and they help keep your vision clear.

If you produce too many tears, the excess flows into the ducts in the inner corners of your eyelids, draining into the back of your nose.

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

The causes of dry eye

Dry eye is often a product of an imbalance between tear production and duct drainage. People with dry eye produce too few tears, their tears may be of an inferior quality, their ducts may be blocked, or all of the above. 

The leading reasons for inadequate tear production are:

• Aging (eyes become drier as you get older)
• Gland problems (don’t secrete enough good tears)
• Duct problems (may be blocked, so tears spill out)
• Underlying medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, thyroid problems, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Medication side effects (decreased tear production)
• Environmental factors (e.g., wind and 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 of inferior quality, the resulting tears won’t spread evenly, may be too watery, or may evaporate too fast. All of these scenarios lead to dry eye disease.

While you might think watery eyes or spillage wouldn’t result from dry eyes, it's actually a common symptom. The eye does its best to lubricate itself when the tears are of poor quality, but what tears it can produce come only from the watery layer, so your eyes constantly brim with watery tears.

Can I treat dry eye with over-the-counter remedies?

If you’ve developed dry eye and it’s not too uncomfortable, OTC remedies are the best place to start. They come in gels, ointments, and drops, and you can choose whichever works best for you.

There are also other at-home treatments that may prove handy, including:

• Not smoking and staying away from secondhand smoke
• Limiting your screen time (you blink less with a screen than you do for paper)
• Wearing sunglasses with wraparound protection
• Using warm, damp compresses applied with light pressure to stimulate tear production

But if your dry eye has turned chronic and at-home remedies no longer work, Dr. Omphroy may suggest a number of medical treatments.

For mild cases, prescription lubricating drops or eyelid scrubs can reduce the burning and gritty feeling characteristic of the condition. 

For long-term relief, the doctor provides two options:

• Removable silicone or gel plugs implanted into tear ducts to prevent drainage
• Nonreversible surgery to close the tear ducts, achieving the same result

Dr. Omphroy also offers newer and more innovative treatments, including intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy and amniotic membrane grafts. He discusses all the possibilities with you at your evaluation.

Don’t let dry eye syndrome become chronic. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Omphroy in Aiea, Hawaii, give us a call at 808-487-7700 today.