So dry for me. Dry like a desert.

April 15, 2009 11:56 PM

Does anyone have experience with punctal plugs (eye plugs) as a solution for dry eyes? Would you recommend the procedure?

Dry eyes are killing me. It's really uncomfortable to wear contacts, and I prefer them to glasses. I find myself blinking constantly, and it's an overall uncomfortable experience. Even with glasses I still have problems. FWIW, I eat a balanced diet and plenty of water. A family member mentioned this procedure as an option. I'm curious about what MeFites have to say. Google provided mostly irrelevant information, and the few threads that mention the procedure on here are quite old.

Thanks in advance.

posted by bradly to health & fitness (10 comments total)

I had this in the aftermath of my LASIK surgery. It really did help significantly with eye moisture and there was no irritation from having the plugs in.

One caveat: I wasn't having to put in and take out contacts on a daily basis, which might mess with the plugs (they might not remain seated as well as they did in my case). You may want to consult with an optometrist/opthamologist about that.
posted by UrineSoakedRube at 2:11 AM on April 16

I would talk to your optometrist/ophthamologist about the discomfort. When it gets to the point that you are blinking constantly, I find that I'm embarrassed doing that, and it's definitely uncomfortable and distracting.

I know nothing about punctal plugs, but there are some good places to start for trying to work on this. First, eye hygiene -- gentle lid washes at least twice a day, and I've found OcuSoft Plus to be very good. Warm compresses several times a day. You could try various eye drops and see which work best for you; I've found SootheXP to be particularly good.

Beyond that talk to your doc. There are some medications that can help a lot. You might also experiment with fish oil / flax seed oil supplements, as there is _some_ stuff out there suggesting that those can help alter the composition of the lipids protecting the eye. Might be worth trying.
posted by davidnc at 4:09 AM on April 16

I also had this after LASIK. They helped a lot.
posted by dmd at 5:40 AM on April 16

My Mom has dry eyes and decided to get the plugs inserted instead of having to put drops in her eyes every 15 minutes. It made a huge difference for her. She was aware of them for a short time after receiving them but doesn't even notice them now at all. She's very happy she had the procedure.
posted by onhazier at 6:00 AM on April 16

I have 'em too. Had them put in in 2003 and they're still in there and working great. They didn't completely solve the problem, at least for me, but they made it worlds better. No pain when they put them in, and after that you can't tell at all that they're there. Highly recommended.

I wear both glasses and contacts, for reference.
posted by zap rowsdower at 6:14 AM on April 16

Seconding lid wash (use Johnson's baby shampoo and get it right up under your lash line), hot compresses, and fish oil. I was about a day from making an appointment to see about punctual plugs when I read about the lid wash/compress/fish oil thing and now I don't think I need the plugs anymore.
posted by HotToddy at 7:21 AM on April 16

Are you already using contact lenses that are specially made for dry eyes? I've found them to be very helpful, compared to my old lenses.
posted by Ery at 8:30 AM on April 16

I had punctal plugs put in about 8 months ago. They are great. As I am sure you already know, they are essentially tiny silicone plugs that are inserted into the puncta, the "holes" through which your tears drain into the tear duct. There is an upper and lower puncta for each eye. For normal dry-eye, they only plug the lower puncta. In extreme cases they can plug both.
There was no pain when inserted, but I could feel them for the first few days. Nothing huge, just like you still had some eye-crud in the corners of your eyes. I wear contacts regularly and haven't had any adverse problems. If you do however, removal is very quick and painless as well.
posted by gagoumot at 11:26 AM on April 16

I had plugs put in after problems with contacts. Dry eyes aren't as much of a problem anymore, but it didn't really solve my contact lens issues, either. As other have said, you could first try hydrating contacts, like the Acuvue Oasys lens; fish oil supplements; and warm compresses if you're hesitant to about the plugs.

The procedure itself is no biggie. It took my opthamologist a few seconds to put the plugs in, and I didn't feel them after a day.
posted by lunalaguna at 2:15 PM on April 16

Thanks all! These are all best answers, as far as I'm concerned, but I selected one that addressed the issue from the LASIK side, and one that addressed it from the contacts/glasses side to make it easier for future searchers.

brad
posted by bradly at 5:39 PM on April 16