Any ATS members have punctal plugs for dry eyes?

Hi All,

I am posting this under "Health and Wellness" and hopefully this is the right place.

Does anybody else have problems with dry eye or DES (Dry Eye Syndrome)? I've been having problems for the past month or so now. I wake up in the morning and my eyes are so dry when I open them that I can not focus for a few minutes. On some days my right eye hurts under the upper eyelid. I went to my Eye Doctor and apparently, we are supposed to retain a tear for about ten seconds in our eye, and we usually blink every ten seconds so this works out nicely to keep our eyes moisturized with tears.

She put some dye in my eyes and tested me, and my left eye lasts 2-3 seconds, and my right eye only lasts for 1 second before it dries. For now, she told me to use Systane Ultra drops 4 times daily, plus my Patenol allergy drops 2 times daily (morning and night) plus Genteal gel drops right before bed. In addition, I have to wash my (closed lids) eyelashes for 30 seconds twice a day with baby shampoo. Interesting one, that, but it seems it is pretty common when I google it.

I am supposed to do this for 2 weeks and then if it doesn't work, she can prescribe a low level hormone, or she also mentioned putting in "punctal plugs" that are supposed to keep the tears in the eyes. It has been a week so far, the drops last only a very short time, the Genteal is just gummy feeling, it doesn't seem to help, and there has been no real improvement so far. So I'm starting to think about the follow-up.

I would much rather not take hormones, so I'm much more interested in the plugs. I have a couple of concerns, though, so I'm wondering if there are any ATS members who have them... If so - how long have they been in? Did they help right away? Have they ever been infected? Have you ever blown your nose and had them come out? For that matter, have they ever come out at all?

Thanks in advance...
Gwynnhwyfar

reply to post by gwynnhwyfar


Have you researched the reasons for your dry eyes? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want anybody messing with my eyes. Apparently the oil mixture in our tears has to be at a certain level or the tears dry out too quickly.

It is estimated that approximately ten million Americans suffer from dry eyes. In fact, it is the number one reason people see their eye doctors. There are many reasons why someone can have dry eyes. Bottom line, it occurs when we don’t have enough tears, the composition of our tears is incorrect, or our tears are not lubricating our eyes correctly. Of the many causes, the most common one is aging. As we age, we can experience an oil deficiency in the body. Oil is a necessary component of tears and without it the water in our eyes can evaporate too fast. Hot, dry or windy climates, rooms that are air-conditioned and even cigarette smoke can dry out the eyes as well. Individuals who wear contact lenses are also at a greater risk, as are people taking antihistamines, antidepressants, birth control pills and certain types of blood pressure medications. If you notice discomfort after periods of reading, watching TV, or working on the computer, you may be suffering from dry eyes too.

www.soulhealer.com...

www.dryeyesyndrome.net...

You may want to research natural remedies before going the plug route. Apparently, taking flaxseed oil internally (NOT applied to the eyes, but eaten) helps greatly. Good luck either way!

reply to post by FissionSurplus

Hi Fission,

Thanks for responding! Yes, I have an auto-immune disease. It flared this past year and brought about my positive diagnosis (via biopsy). My Eye Doctor thinks that the auto-immune disease was the trigger for my eye dryness issue.

Gwynnhwyfar

reply to post by FissionSurplus


Thank you for the links, I just read through them. I'll give the extra flax oil a try. That sounds promising.

I would really like to hear from anybody who has punctal plugs, to know what your experience is...