Dry Eyes
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Treatment for Dry Eyes
April 2016
Hi. Looking for recommendations for an ophthalmologist or optometrist with experience with dry eyes and Sjogren's. Berkeley, Oakland or Walnut Creek areas preferred. I have had dry eyes for ~10 years and my Mom told me she was diagnosed with Sjogren's a few years ago. I'd like to be examined to see if I have it and/or how to treat my dry eyes. Thank you!
I have had troubles with dry eyes as I moved into my 40s. My optometrist recommended eye drops and also flax seed oil. I take 1 tbsp oil in morning and that helps a lot. I kind of think I should take it twice a day. My eyes seem to be drier this time of year. Older and Drier
Dry Eyes Opthamologist Expert
Oct 2009
Are there any opthamologists who specialize in dealing with severe dry eye conditions? Mine is pretty extreme and I am willing to travel far and wide for any recommendations. Many thanks!! tearless mom
Dear Tearless mom, I too suffered with severe dry eyes. I have a separate eye disease requiring 3 different eye drops and still had dry eyes. I see a cornea specialist, but doubt you need that - however will share what was done to address my issue so you will know the options. First I was prescribed Restasis eye drops (liquid gold as it is pricey, along with Thera-Tears and Patanol for irritation from hard contact lenses I must wear - Still very Dry. I then had small plastic plugs placed in my lower tear ducts (very quick, painless procedure, but ~$50 each - insurance paid!)and had improvement until they fell out twice (You just can't help but automatically rub your eyes sometimes and they come out (I didn't know it until I looked). My doctor then suggested cauterization of the ducts. It's not a pleasant procedure (quick shot of anesthesia into your lower lids, then a small heated probe is quickly put into the ducts and seals them off - and typically permanent)I had immediate/next day wonderful results. I do have to continue on all the drops, but am MUCH more comfortable. I was told it was likely hormones!! I am almost 45. Good luck. Dr. Vastine in Oakland did my procedure. He's great! happily teary
For how many years have you been wearing contacts? I had a similar issue a few years ago and my eye doctor told me that people's eyes often start to reject contacts after about 20 years (which was how long I had been wearing them). I needed to have an alternative to glasses so I could continue to do sports, so I ended up getting Lasik. I hope this doesn't discourage you, and I would certainly talk to the ophthalmologist about your particular situation, but for what it's worth, not having to deal with contact lenses has made my life easier in many ways. Good luck.
Hi, so sorry to hear and I empathize so much. I’ve has severe dry eyes as part of my leukemia treatment complication. I learned about prose lens, and since I got them, it’s been life changing. My insurance covered it but I can’t say if that’s the case for everyone. It’s aboout $15k out of pocket, I believe. But UCSF is very good at advocating on your behalf to fight with insurance. Feel free to send me a rivate message...
https://www.bostonsight.org/PROSE/PROSE-Treatment/About-PROSE
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/prose/
YES!! This happened to me. I am a lifelong contact lens wearer and then started really suffering from dry eyes and even a sensation of heat/pain and sensitivity to light. It turns out that the contact lens solution I was using was the culprit. I had been using Alcon Optifree for YEARS, but apparently they changed the ingredients at some point, and I developed irritation (maybe even an allergy?) According to the folks at the UC Berkeley Eye Clinic, this is really common, and it's the preservatives in the solution that are to blame.
I switched to using ClearCare to disinfect my lenses and Rinse & Go (which is preservative-free and, gee, way cheaper than all the other saline solutions), and now I am back to wearing contact lenses 12+ hours a day and can see perfectly.
Hope you get this sorted out. Dry eyes suck.
I have developed dry eyes as a result of an autoimmune condition and had to stop wearing my daily lenses. I encourage you to go to the UC Berkeley Dry Eye clinic for a consultation. They may recommend that you switch to hard lenses.
I did get back to wearing contacts, after I changed a few things to reduce indoor air pollution. A partial list of pollutants: perfume, air freshener, gas stove, new carpet, new paint, scented laundry detergent, scented dish detergent, fabric softener, toothpaste, catnip. Almost anything in the room can offgas and cause problems. I hope you are able to solve the problem.
Yes! I have had lots and lots of eye issues, including cornea transplant, and many years of wearing contacts.
Get tear duct plugs. An ophthalmologist puts them in. They are amazing! You may actually get a little "teary", but it is so worth not having dry eye. My incredible ophthalmologist, Dr. David Vastine, now retired, made the recommendation after I had already been to a special eye clinic at UCSF and had seen at least 5 different ophthalmologists. He made my eyes feel better in 10 minutes. Truly a miracle.
I have dry eye and wear Acuvue Moist daily disposables for 12+ hours per day. I also use Systane gel eye drops and Refresh lubricating eye drops. Daily disposables aren't cheap but I can't stand wearing glasses.
FWIW, both my husband and I were recommended by UC Optometry (different clinicians) to use a warm compress every day for 20 minutes and then put in artificial tears. My husband complained to them of dry eyes and they noticed my tears ducts were atrophying (though I hadn't noticed any issue with dry eyes). They recommended Thermalon or something similar that you can put in the microwave as a warm washcloth loses its warmth too quickly. We don't wear contacts and your issue might be different, but it's worth a try at least in the short term.
I wear RGPs and struggle with dry eyes, especially during the winter months. At one point, at the recommendation of an ophthalmologist, I even tried tear duct plugs, which helped retain moisture but ended up irritating my eyes because they didn't sit completely flush. The three things that have helped are switching to Clear Care disinfecting solution. cleaning my lids daily with OcuSoft foaming eyelid cleanser, and Zatidor antihistamine eye drops. Warm compresses help too but I never seem to have time for it.