Resolved doubts on dry eye and eye drops

29/03/2016

Does a definitive treatment exist for dry eye syndrome, allowing the patient to stop using eyedrops?

Depending on the type of dry eye — evaporative or tear deficient— treatments will vary a lot from patient to patient.

If the eye dryness is due to external factors (like, for example, the use of contact lenses) or by more tear streaming than normal, we could discuss an effective, yet not “definitive” treatment by improving the symptomatology, changing from contact lenses or applying tear duct plugs that preserve our tears.

However, other more serious causes of dry eyes —like gland dysfunction, palebral alterations or Sjögren’s syndrome, among others—, would require more constant treatment and monitoring in order to gain more comfortable eye sight.

Dr. María Iglesias Ophthalmologist