Dry Eye Disease Solutions
Our practice is providing this educational web page to help you learn more about Dry Eye Disease and why we are recommending the use of Oasis TEARS to treat your condition and relieve your symptoms.
Dry Eye – What Is It?
Dry eye is a medical condition that affects an estimated 20 million people in the United States alone. Dry eye most often results from inadequate lubrication of the eye. Symptoms may be occasional discomfort or chronic and potentially vision-threatening, whether mild or painful. Only your eye care specialist can properly diagnose your dry eye problem.
The Importance of Eye Lubrication: Tears and Tear Film
Good vision starts with good tear film that must constantly be produced and spread over our eyes to keep them moist.
Tear film:
- bathes, refreshes and protects the surface of the eye from the irritating effects of dirt, dust, and other airborne particles
- protects from infection
- helps to create a smooth surface so vision stays clear and undistorted
- keeps eyes lubricated and comfortable
If you have an abnormal or deficient tear film, the quality of your vision may be diminished. Tears are made up of 3 components: lipid, aqueous (water) and mucins. Each component must be in balance to create the necessary moisture to keep our eyes comfortable. If any component is missing or damaged, the tear film is compromised and the eye moisture will be depleted causing the eyes to feel dry and irritated.
Chronic dry eye can occur when the tear glands don’t produce the right quantity or quality of tears to keep the eyes lubricated and protected.
Chronic Dry Eye
Blinking spreads the tear film over the eye. If the tear film is inadequate, dry spots can occur causing discomfort and damage to the corneal cells on the surface of the eye. You may not know that you have damaged corneal cells but your eyes may feel dry with a burning sensation. Your eye care specialist will be able to see the surface damage during an eye exam.
Corneal cells can heal quickly if the condition is diagnosed early and treated with a dry eye lubricant that protects the cells and allows moisture to remain on the surface longer.
Common Causes of Dry Eye
There are many causes of Dry Eye. These can be attributed to a number of different factors.
Aging: As we grow older, our eyes produce tears that have less natural oil in them.
Menopause: Females entering menopause are among the most prone to dry eye.
Contact Lens Wear: Wearing contact lenses can contribute to dry eye.
Autoimmune Disorders: Diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, thyroid and Sjogren's syndrome can cause inflammation in the tear-producing lacrimal gland.
Environment: Excessive heat or air conditioning, fans, dry or windy climates, smoke, airplanes, and lack of sleep can all cause dry eye.
Work Environment: Outside wind, dust, heat, or smog can cause dry eye. Focusing on a computer screen for extended periods is also a common cause.
Medications: Numerous medications can cause dry eye. Be sure to tell your eye care specialist about all the medications you are taking.
Eye Medications: Preservatives in artificial tears and medication drops may be toxic to the cells on the surface of the eye and can contribute to dry eye.
Surgery: Surgical procedures can disrupt the production of tears. Unless Dry Eye was present before surgery, post-surgical dry eye is almost always temporary.
Common Symptoms of Dry Eye
- Dry sensation
- Burning or stinging
- Fluctuating or blurry vision
- Mucous discharge
- Redness
- Light sensitivity
- Lid infections/sties
- Tired eyes
- Scratchy, gritty feeling
- Itching
- Excess tearing (watery eyes)
- Irritation from wind or smoke
- Eyelids stuck together at awakening
- Contact lens discomfort
- Contact lens solution sensitivity
Why Preservative-Free?
Several television ad campaigns encourage patients to inform their doctors and pharmacists about all the medications they are taking in order to avoid harmful drug interactions. This is good advice for patients on artificial tears as well.
An ocular medication is much more than just the active drug it contains. Its other components may present difficulties for some patients. This is especially true for patients who are using artificial tear products, suffer chronic eye diseases like dry eye or glaucoma, or require post-surgery dosing of medication drops.
Eye drops are composed of unique mixtures of:
- the active drug and its drug delivery system
- a preservative
- a viscosity increasing agent
- a vehicle by which all the above ingredients are "carried"
Of these, it’s the preservative that is most often considered to be the culprit in damaging the top layer of the cornea leading to disruption when drops are used often. This sequence leaves the surface of the eye unable to keep the tear film in place and can lead to ocular surface disease. If you are using certain medication drops or wear contact lenses it is even more important to have artificial tears that are preservative free.
Common chemical preservatives found in ophthalmic drops are:
- Benzalkonium chloride (BAK)
- Disodium EDTA
BAK is the most prevalent and its cytotoxicity is well-documented. Reports have shown that BAK can accumulate in ocular tissue and can cause different types of cell death with frequent dosing. It’s thought that patients at greatest risk for BAK-induced adverse effects are those suffering from dry eyes. Because of the lack of natural tears in these patients, the BAK in each eye drop is not as diluted as it would be in a patient with normal tear formation. This may damage the corneal epithelium (top layer of the eye) contributing to ocular surface disease. (Using more than 4 – 6 drops per day increases the likelihood of BAK-induced adverse effects.)
Non-preserved Drops
Studies have shown preservative-free preparations are safe to use in patients, especially with frequent dosing. Non-preserved artificial tears have an extra advantage over preserved ones. They may be the best choice for patients immediately following eye surgery (LASIK) due to increased viscosity and pH buffering, which makes the drops more comfortable to use. Preservative-free Oasis TEARS™ and Oasis TEARS™ PLUS eliminate the source of toxic irritation caused by preservatives.
The Oasis Tears Advantage
Not all eye drops are the same. Oasis TEARS™ is a new type of eye drop with a unique, viscoadaptive formula, optimized to provide longer lasting comfort.
- Provides instant relief of dry eye symptoms
- Provides prolonged comfort with fewer applications required
- Provides moistening and lubrication of the cornea and other surfaces of the eye
- Natural; contains no toxic biopolymers
- Preservative-free; eliminates a source of irritation
- Offers two treatment options
Why a viscoadaptive lubricant eye drop?
Oasis TEARS™ lubricant eye drops coat, lubricate and moisten delicate eye tissue. With each blink of the eye, the viscoadaptive agent in Oasis TEARS™ coats and recoats the surface of the eye for continued relief of dry irritated eyes.
Use Oasis TEARS™ to relieve dry eye symptoms such as:
- CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome)
- End of day dry eyes
- Burning, itching eyes
- Morning dry eyes
- Night time dry eyes
- Tired eyes
- Irritated eyes
Oasis TEARS™ Lubricant Eye Drops
Recommended for mild to moderate symptoms
Oasis TEARS™ PLUS Lubricant Eye Drops
Recommended for moderate to severe symptoms
Questions and Answers
Q: What makes Oasis TEARS™ lubricating eye drops unique from other artificial tears?
Oasis TEARS™ is preservative-free and also the only lubricating eye drop with a long lasting viscoadaptive agent to retain the active ingredient, glycerin. The viscoadaptive agent lubricates and moisturizes the surface of the eye for instant comfort. With each blink of the eye, it re-lubricates to provide prolonged relief.
Q: Is Oasis TEARS™ safe and effective?
Oasis TEARS™ is safe to use as often as needed since it contains no toxic preservatives and the active ingredient glycerin is a natural compound. Oasis TEARS™ lubricating eye drops are recommended and used by eye care professionals to provide long lasting relief from dry eyes.
Q: What are the different types of Artificial Tears?
There are 3 different categories of artificial tear products:
Preserved Artificial Tears
- most artificial tears contain preservatives
- may cause a toxic reaction due to the preservatives
- typically available in multi-dose bottles where the tip could become contaminated
Preservative-free Artificial Tears (Oasis TEARS™ and Oasis TEARS™ PLUS)
- recommended by eye care professionals for patients with sensitive eyes
- recommended for patients on chronic eye medications
- does not cause a toxic reaction (no preservatives)
- typically available in single-use vials
More Viscous Artificial Tears and Ointments
- for more severe dry eye symptoms and nighttime use
- Oasis TEARS™ PLUS is more viscous and preservative-free
Q: How are the types of available eye drop products different?
Artificial Tears
- Specifically formulated to treat dry eyes by moisturizing and providing comfort to the surface of the eyes for symptoms that include a dry, scratchy or gritty sensation.
- Oasis TEARS™ is an artificial tear that lubricates and protects against irritants
Decongestants
- Used to remove redness due to irritation by constricting the blood vessels
- Treats red eyes, but does not treat dry eye problems
Contact Lens Rewetting Solutions
- Relieves dryness and irritation that may occur with contact lens wear
- Rewetting solutions are only for contact lenses while in the eye
Q: How can I relieve dry eye problems?
- Use Oasis TEARS™ to lubricate and protect your eyes from irritation and dryness.
- Avoid drafts from heating or air conditioning vents, in cars, airplanes and closed environments.
- If using a computer for long periods of time, take frequent breaks to relieve eye strain.
- Certain over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs can contribute to dry eye problems. Consult your eye care specialist and tell him what medications you are taking.
- Use of a humidifier may help relieve the symptoms of dry eyes.
- If you wear contact lenses, remove and clean them when your eyes are feeling dry.
- If you are going to have refractive surgery, your eye care professional may recommend preservative-free Oasis TEARS™ before and after surgery.
Q: How are dry eye problems treated?
- Your eye care specialist can determine which treatment is best for your specific condition. This depends on a diagnosis of mild, moderate or severe dry eye. Most people are started out on lubricant eye drops to keep the eye moist and comfortable and to protect the ocular surface.
- Your eye care specialist may recommend making changes to your environment and recommend Oasis TEARS™ to relieve your discomfort.
- Your eye care specialist may recommend that you take regular breaks from computers, television and reading to rest your eyes which will increase your blink rate.
- Your eye care specialist may ask you to decrease or eliminate the use of certain medications that may cause dry eye.
Q: If artificial tears do not provide relief are there other options?
If you are using artificial tears several times a day and still do not have relief you may be suffering from moderate to severe dry eye.
Contact your eye care specialist and ask if Oasis TEARS PLUS, punctum plugs or other therapy would help your chronic dry eye problem.
Q: What if I am scheduled for eye surgery?
Studies have shown that the pre-operative condition of your tear film may affect post-op outcomes. It can also affect the accuracy of tests and measurements used to plan the surgery. Another study showed that nearly 60% of people about to undergo cataract surgery had some form of dry eye disease. It is essential before cataract or refractive surgery that you have a healthy tear film. Many surgeons recommend their patients go on artificial tears at least one month prior to surgery to achieve the best surgical outcomes. Similarly, after surgery you may be asked to continue the artificial tears for a month or more in order to maintain comfort and visual clarity.
