Dry eye is a serious problem that not only causes irritation and blurry vision but also introduces the potential for significant damage to your corneas. While standard dry eye remedies such as eye drops and lifestyle changes can bring many cases of dry eye under control, some patients find their dry eye issues particularly hard to treat successfully. If you're in that camp, rest assured that more advanced options are also available in the form of punctal plugs. Our Kissimmee eye doctor at Eye Care specialists of Florida, Dr. Choudhri, is happy to provide this dry eye treatment.
An Advanced Form of Dry Eye Treatment
Dry eye occurs when the eyes aren't getting adequate protection and hydration from the tear film that normally refreshes itself every time you blink. The various causes and triggers can range of natural aging and underlying medical conditions to windy environments and excessive staring at computer screens. Some people have an unbalanced mix of water, mucous and oils in their tear film, causing tears to evaporate too quickly, while others simply aren't making enough tear fluid. Addressing the underling reason for the insufficiency, such as treating a medical condition that promotes dryness or using eye drops to cope with age-related dryness, can usually manage the problem quite well -- but not always. To make matters worse, what little moisture your eyes do receive can easily drain out through the drainage ducts in your upper and lower eyelid.
Punctual plugs can ease your dry eye woes by literally plugging up that drainage system. When our Kissimmee eye doctor inserts a pair of these plugs into your drainage ducts (one plug in the upper eyelid, and the other in the lower eyelid), eye moisture has nowhere to go -- so it goes nowhere. Instead, it remains in your eyes long as possible. This not gives your natural tears a better chance to nourish your eyes, but it also enhances the ability of eye drops and artificial tears to do their job in your ongoing dry eye management routine.
Which Punctal Plugs Are Right for You?
Punctal plugs come in a variety of forms, although all of them are about as tiny as a grain of rice. You may want to start with a pair of temporary dissolvable plugs, just to see if this form of dry eye treatment will help you, before moving on to permanent or semi-permanent plugs. We can provide plugs optimized for maximum comfort, easier removal, perfect configuration to the eye structures, or best possible water retention, depending on your specific preferences and the severity of your condition.
Contact Eye Care Specialists of Florida
Don't get frustrated by the difficulties of controlling your dry eye -- get the upper hand by exploring the possibilities of punctal plugs. Call Eye Care Specialists of Forida at (407) 483-0328 to talk to our Kissimmee eye doctor!
