The incidence of dry eyes in America has developed dramatically over the previous decade as the natural world has altered, and the typical age of Americans has increased. As such, modern and better beneficial alternatives are essential to remedy this chronic and potentially harmful condition. While for the most part individuals simply chose to live with the soreness of dry eyes, the physiological changes that can, and do occur as a result of decreased tear flow are worth noting.

Dry eyes can occur either as a result of decreased tear volume, or an alteration in the tear quality. There are Many components to tears including water, mucin and enzymes; each with a special responsibility. If any one of these components are missing, decreased or altered the consequence will be dry eyes. For example, if there is an deficient amount of mucin in the tears, the tear/cornea interface will be altered and the tears will not retain a constant and even coverage. Tear break up time will be brief, more often than not less than 10-15 seconds, and the eyes will turn out to be uncomfortable. Likewise if the enzyme element is Changed, there is an increase in the likelihood of bacterial build up on the eyelid margins resulting in Blepharitis; which is a lid inflammation. This in turn will reduce tear production into the eye. Noticeably, a simple decrease in the tear volume will result in dry eyes since there will not be an adequate amount of tears to cover the cornea for the required time period.

Dry eyes result in symptoms such as sandy, burning, red eyes which if untreated will get worse over time. This will cause individuals to rub their eyes often abrading the cornea. In addition, a dry eye results in the corneal epithelium to lose its transparency giving it a cloudy haze. As expected, this can and often does make the vision worse. Continued dry eye conditions can permanently change the corneal tissue, and scarring may result. As the eyes dry out, the lids become more involved and the Blepharitis worsens resulting in the eyes to be even dryer. It is a vicious cycle that must be defeated as soon as possible.

Treatments have evolved, and patient comfort has dramatically improved along with these changes. Non-natural tears are the starting point, but most often do not solve the dilemma. Next up is treatment with steroid eye drops along with lubricating drops. This therapy regularly does show noticeable progress in the condition. As soon as additional help is required, Restasis eye drops are Used to stimulate tear production. This medication is a worthy alternative, but does require its' use for many months, twice per day at substantial cost to the patient. Unfortunately there are still many patients that are still uncomfortable.

The inner corners of the eye lids have small openings Named Puncta. These openings drain the tears into the nose via ducts, allowing tear stream out of the eyes. On occasion, they get congested causing tear overflow, and have to be surgically opened. This model is Used to balance tears in the eye whilst the eyes are dry. Small cylindrical materials can be painlessly inserted into the duct, and effectively blocks the out flow of the tears. This would be comparable to covering the drain in the tub. In this case, by preventing tears from leaving the eye we can expand the tear volume, and enhance comfort and function. There are two basic types of Punctal Plugs. The first is a temporary one that is made of collagen. These are impressive because they dissolve in 2-3 months, and result in immediate relief to the patient; but do not have long lasting promise for infection or tissue alteration. If at some stage in that 2-3 month period there is an increase in tear production then there would be no need to reinsert an extra plug. If extra treatments are necessary, it can be with no trouble done as long as is necessary. There is also a permanent type made of silicone. These are inserted the same way, and exhibit the exact same affect, but do not melt away. If a setback arises they must be physically removed. In brief, punctal plugs are a fantastic way to reduce the deleterious effects of dry eyes, and significantly make better patient comfort.