DRY EYES

The number one complaint of patients here in Edmonton is dry eyes.  This can be anywhere from annoying to dehabilitating.  Edmonton is an extremely dry environment, especially in the winter.  People who move here from other climates often have the hardest time adapting.  Contact lens wearers will also find a decrease in wear time and end of the day comfort here.  There are however some things we can do to improve the problem.

Examination of the eyes is the best way to give specific advice to each patient, but there are some changes you can make to improve the problem.  First we recommend you increase the amount of water you are drinking.  Secondly we advise patients to increase the amount of Omega-3 they are consuming in their diet.  This can be increased either by taking supplements or eating at least two servings of ocean fish each week.  To help improve the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 we also advise patients to reduce consumption of red meat. A third technique is to use warm compresses around the eyes.  By heating up the oil glands and gently massaging them you can increase the oily layer of the tear film which will reduce the evaporation of tears.

If these natural approaches are not effective, using artificial tear drops can improve comfort.  You doctor can be helpful in selecting the right tear drops for your eye.  Some individuals do not like putting drops in their eyes, or find it annoying to continually instill drops in their eyes enough times to reach an effective level.  For these patients we often recommend PUNCTAL OCCLUSION THERAPY.  We offer two types of punctal occlusion, temporary and permanent.  The most popular form of punctal occlusion is temporary where a synthetic cylinder is inserted into the small tear drainage hole in the lower lid.  This inhibits drainage of the tears already being produced keeping the eye more lubricated.  The plugs usually last from eight month to one year before they dissolve.  This procedure is nice because it has lower risk in infection, is painless, is reversible if excess tearing is occurring and does not damage the lids structure.  Punctal occlusion is $85.

For patients with contact lens problems we often recommend some or all of the above therapies in addition to switching into contact lenses more specifically designed for patients suffering from dry eyes.