Do your eyes often feel itchy and irritated? You may be a victim of dry eye syndrome. It’s best to find some quick ways to resolve this problem otherwise it will keep getting worse.

Your eyes require a proper amount of moisture to stay in a healthy condition. The tear ducts play a vital role in fulfilling this need for moisture. Dry eye syndrome begins when the tear duct’s function is somehow disturbed. Approximately 5 million people in the United States suffer from dry eye syndrome. It is most common among seniors and women.

The good news is that dry eyes are something that can be treated. There are several remedies to fix this problem, including many that are available over the counter. Let’s take a look at the treatments that can be helpful in this regard.

Eye Drops

The symptoms of dry eye can be treated with prescription eye drops as well as over-the-counter eye drops. We recommend using over-the-counter artificial tears if you are experiencing mild symptoms of dry eye. It may also help you if the problem is occurring infrequently.

Over-the-counter eye drops

The purpose of using these drops is to lubricate the eyes artificially. You should consider choosing preservative-free eye drops if you’re planning to use the drops more than four times a day. The drops with preservatives can also be helpful but they cause some damage if you use them more than four times a day. TheraTears, Systane Ultra and Refresh Optive Advanced are some popular brands that offer preservative-free eye drops.

Advantages of Over-the-counter eye drops

• Provide relief for mild symptoms
• Widely Available
• Affordable Price

Disadvantages of Over-the-counter eye drops

• Not recommended for moderate or severe symptoms
• Eyes feel irritated with drops that have preservatives

Prescription Eye drops

If you’re frequently suffering from dry eye, you may consider using prescription eye drops. An optician will find out the main cause of your dry eyes and prescribe the most suitable drops for your problem. Eye drops that contain cyclosporine (an immune-suppressing drug) or corticosteroids are the most suitable option for you if irritation in your cornea has caused the symptoms of dry eyes.

Your doctor can also prescribe autologous eye drops if other treatments aren’t working for you. They basically use your blood to create these drops. An advanced machine is used to separate out the plasma from red blood cells. Then the drops are created by mixing plasma with the salt.

Advantages of Prescription Eye Drops

• Have the ability to treat the main cause of the symptoms
• Perfect for severe dry symptoms

Disadvantages of Prescription Eye drops

• Can be a bit expensive
• Require a prescription

Prescription Medication

In some cases, your symptoms can be alleviated with the help of prescription medications. The inflammation around the eyelids is normally the main cause of dry eye. The inflammation can be treated with the help of oral antibiotics.

Doxycycline for Dry Eye

Sometimes, the doctors prescribe doxycycline as a treatment for dry eye.

Advantages of Doxycycline for Dry Eye

• Has the ability to treat gland issues
• Carefully treats eyelid inflammation

Disadvantages of Doxycycline for Dry Eye

• Not a suitable option for young people
• Some patients cannot tolerate it

Cholinergic Drugs for Dry Eye

Cholinergic drugs are often prescribed by doctors when the sufficient amount of tears isn’t being produced by the tear ducts. These drugs include pilocarpine and cevimeline and have the ability to produce more tears in your eyes.

Advantages of Cholinergic Drugs

• Great for Restoring Moisture Balance
• Boost the tear ducts ability to produce more tears

Disadvantages of Cholinergic Drugs

• Only available by prescription
• Often leads to excessive sweating

Medical Procedures

Your doctor can also recommend other medical procedures along with prescription drugs and eye drops.

Eye inserts

Eye inserts are the tiny capsules that provide constant lubrication to your eyes. You need to insert these capsules between your eyes and eyelids throughout the day. These capsules contain hydroxypropyl cellulose and they treat your problem more effectively.

Advantages of Eye Inserts

• Offer more comfort to your eyes for the whole day

Disadvantages of Eye Inserts

• Might not be suitable for some patients

LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation

Lipiflow Thermal Pulsation is a popular treatment that the doctor recommends when the dry eyes are caused by clogged oil glands. In this process, they provide a warm massage to the eyelids with the help of a cup-like instrument. It doesn’t take more than 15 minutes.

Advantages of Lipiflow Thermal Pulsation

• It’s a painless process
• Takes only a few minutes
• Unclogs oil glands

Disadvantages of Lipiflow Thermal Pulsation

• The same results can be achieved by using warm compresses at home

It can be really difficult to continue your daily operations with a chronic dry eye. There are several treatments available for this disease. Obviously, over-the-counter eye drops can fix this problem efficiently. But if the problem still exists, you consider visiting your doctor for further treatment.