Dry eye

VOL 103 / NO 5 / MAY 1998 / POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE

Do your eyes sting and burn? Do they feel gritty and irritated? You may have dry eye. This condition is just what it sounds like--you don't have enough tears coating your eyes to keep them comfortable. A reduction in the amount of tears normally accompanies aging. But it can also be caused by use of some prescription and nonprescription drugs, by eye infection or injury, or by a certain type of arthritis. Your primary care doctor or ophthalmologist can help determine the cause and best treatment of the problem.

How is dry eye treated?
Unfortunately, there is no way to increase production of tears. Either lubricating drops called "artificial" tears must be used to replace the missing ones, or the tears you produce naturally must be conserved.

• You can buy artificial tears in a drugstore without a prescription and can use them as often as necessary to make your eyes feel better. Those that do not contain preservatives are recommended. Eye ointments are available too. Ointments keep your eyes moist longer than drops, so many patients use them before they go to bed.

  To put medication in your eyes, first wash your hands. Then pull your lower eyelid down with a fingertip. Look up. Squeeze a drop or a short strip of ointment into the lower lid. (Do not touch your eye with the applicator.) Close your eye for a few seconds to let the medication absorb.

• If tear-replacement methods do not provide relief, you may want to have the tear-drainage openings (called puncta) in your eyelids closed up. This method keeps your natural tears from trickling away. The openings may be closed permanently with cautery or laser surgery, or they may be blocked with plastic plugs that can be removed if necessary.

  Here are some additional tips that may reduce eye dryness and irritation:

• Keep the humidity level in your home between 30% and 50% to prevent evaporation of your tears (both artificial and natural ones).
  
  
• Stay out of the wind (even from a hair dryer) or wear wraparound glasses to shield your eyes.
  
  
• Avoid using other kinds of over-the-counter eyedrops, especially those made to reduce redness, since they may contain substances that can further dry your eyes.
  
  
• Avoid letting smoke get in your eyes.

This information is not a substitute for medical treatment.

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