PROCEDURES | DRY EYES
Punctal plug (procedure code C2920)
Dry eyes are uncomfortable and can impact vision throughout the day. Patients who suffer from chronic dry eye find it difficult to perform everyday activities, which can significantly decrease their quality of life. Dry eyes occur for a number of different reasons.
These include age, gender, medications, and environmental conditions. Other factors include long term contact lens use, and refractive procedures such as laser eye surgery, which can cause decreased tear production. The key to managing dry eye is to recognise the symptoms early and seek treatment from an eye care professional. Without treatment, chronic dry eye can lead to impaired vision, eye infection and scarring. There have been many advances in the treatment of dry eyes in recent years.
We have a new treatment for severe dry eye, cyclosporine eye drops, which can greatly help this. We sometimes insert a hydrogel insert into the tear drainage system, which gently slows tear flow away from the eye, so that your natural tears stay in your tear film for longer, causing less dry eye problems.
​Another option, called punctal plugs, retains tears in the eye by blocking the tear drainage canal. If you are experiencing dry eye as a result of another condition, your eye care professional will also treat that cause. For example, if you wear contact lenses, you may need to try other types of lenses. If you have inflamed or clogged eyelid glands, your doctor will offer methods to treat the glands ranging from at-home lid hygiene techniques, to in-office procedures. Let us work with you to find the best course of treatment for your dry eye!