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Targeted Therapy for Dry Eyes
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Dry eye can result from environmental factors that put a strain on the eye or affect tear production. A doctor may recommend relevant changes as a first step in dry eye treatment. Some examples include:
Lifestyle changes
Proper eye hygiene can help reduce inflammation or irritation due to dry eye symptoms. It can also help clear the eye of debris that may be inhibiting proper tear production.
Eye hygiene
Gel or ointment formulas of artificial tears can help relieve dryness and restore moisture to the surface of the eye. These can be especially helpful for overnight use for people who wake up with dry or scratchy eyes.
Eye ointment
taking regular breaks from screen time
drinking plenty of water
getting a good night’s sleep
using a humidifier in the home
making dietary changes or taking supplements
reducing contact lens use or switching to scleral lenses
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Over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops supplement the body’s natural tears. These artificial tears help lubricate the eye and provide quick relief from dry eye symptoms. They are among the most common treatments for dry eye.
Eye drops
A new type of prescription dry eye treatment is now available for use as a nasal spray. This medication — varenicline (Tyrvaya) — works by stimulating nerves in the nose to trigger tear production. Results from a clinical study suggest that tear production is stimulated within 5 minutes of use.
Nasal treatment
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Varenicline is a twice-daily treatment — 1 spray in each nostril each time.
Warm — not hot — compresses, eyelid massages, and eyelid cleansing wipes can all help keep the eye clean and minimize inflammation around the tear ducts and eyelids.
People who use OTC eye drops regularly may want to consider a preservative-free option to prevent further irritation.
If OTC eye drops do not provide enough relief, a doctor may recommend prescription medicated drops. These work by stimulating the eye to create more tears. Examples include cyclosporine (Restasis, Cequa), lifitegrast (Xiidra), and perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution (Miebo).
Lifestyle changes can be used along with other approaches to help prevent dry eye symptoms.
The iTEAR 100 is another prescription nasal device that works similarly to stimulate tear production.
Doctors sometimes use oral medications, such as low doses of doxycycline or azithromycin, to treat dry eye. These medications work to restore tear film stability to help improve dry eye symptoms.
Oral medication
Different types of in-office or surgical options are possible, depending on the cause of dry eye symptoms.
Surgical procedures
If tears are draining too quickly from the eye, punctal plugs can be used to block the tear ducts and help keep tears on the eye longer.
Other in-office procedures can help treat dry eye, such as intense pulsed light and thermal treatments LipiFlow, iLux, or TearCare.
A procedure known as amniotic membrane transplantation can also help treat severe dry eye.
Conjunctivochalasis — especially nasally — can also cause dry eye symptoms and, at times, require surgical treatment.
Structural issues in the eye, such as loose eyelids, can also lead to dry eye. In these cases, surgery may be necessary to repair the eyelids, though this is not very common.
If necessary, permanent surgical closure of the tear ducts may be an option to help treat dry eye.
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Targeted Therapy for Dry Eyes
