Advanced treatment for dry eyes

Your eyes get dry when they don’t produce enough tears to moisturize, or when your tears drain too quickly. You may experience occasional itchy, scratchy eyes from an arid environment (heating and cooling systems), long hours of reading or computer usage, allergies, or medications. If drops, prescriptions, and other doctor-recommended therapies don’t relieve chronic dry eyes, you may need to consider a more aggressive approach.

Tears are produced primarily by lacrimal glands located behind your upper eyelids. As tears are secreted, they sheet over the eye and drain through the nasolacrimal duct into the nose (the reason you blow your nose when you cry). Punctal occlusion is a simple, painless procedure performed by a trained ophthalmologist.

Dr. Jeffrey Gold at Liberty Vision is experienced in both temporary and permanent punctal occlusions. Punctal occlusion slows the rate of tear drainage by blocking the duct, allowing your eyes to stay more moist and comfortable.

Following an examination, Dr. Gold will insert a temporary plug made of collagen into the punctum, the tiny opening at the inner corner of the lower eyelid. This natural substance dissolves over a period of about 90 days. Your comfort level during the temporary punctal occlusion determines if a permanent procedure is a viable solution to your issues.

Silicone plugs have been in use for years, but Dr. Gold utilizes a more progressive hydrogel plug. It stays in position, allowing your eyes to remain lubricated and moist. The plug can be intentionally removed as easily and painlessly as it was placed by simply irrigating the tear system with warm saline.

Managing chronic dry eyes impacts your life. The cost of over-the-counter artificial tears adds up over time, and you have to keep a bottle handy always. Allergy medications taken by mouth make dry eyes worse. Dry eyes cause blurred vision. The temptation to rub your eyes results in redness and can spread germs from your hands to your vulnerable mucosa.

When you are ready to consider a long-term alternative, contact Dr. Gold at Liberty Vision to discuss punctal occlusion. Most health insurance plans cover the procedure.

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