Dry eyes are a common symptom that brings many patients to our practice. Many people don't realize it is a disease that can be treated.

Dry eyes can be caused by a variety of factors such as:

- Medications
- Environmental Factors
- History of LASIK
- Hormonal Fluctuations
- Auto-Immune Diseases

The two most common symptoms of dry eyes are: 1) lack of natural tear production, and 2) increased rate of evaporation of natural tears. Our doctors will evaluate your eyes to determine which type you have and tailor a treatment plan to help with the disease.

Treatment of dry eyes includes:

• Over the Counter (OTC) Artificial Tears – Our doctors will provide you a specific recommendation on which drops to use
• Punctal Plugs – For advanced cases of dryness, our doctors may recommend inserting silicone plugs into each tear duct in order to keep more of your tears on the eye surface for longer. This procedure is painless, done in office and helps many of our patients.
• Restasis – This medication improves the quality of patients natural tears. This medication typically takes 2-3 months to notice improvement, and our doctors typically pair it with a steroid drop for the first month to speed up the process.
• Xiidra - Studies have shown that Dry Eye Disease is caused by inflammation. This drop acts to decrease the inflammation of ocular structures to help improve the symptoms of dry eye disease.