What Is Dry Eye?
Understand how your Eyes are Lubricated.
Common Causes
See the Causes of Dry Eye Disease.
Dry Eye Symptoms
Understand the Symptoms of Dry Eye.
Diagnosing Dry Eye
Learn how your Dry Eye might be diagnosed.
What Is Dry Eye?
Dry Eye stems from an unhealthy state of our tear film. When we blink our glands produce tears that coat our eyes. These tears are made of three primary components to moisturize and lubricate our eyes. First component is the lipid layer, which prevents the tear film from evaporating. Second component is the aqueous layer, which contains water and nutrients for our eyes. Third is the mucin layer, which helps spread the tear film evenly over our eyes.
When our glands are not producing this lubricating combination we start to feel symptoms of Dry Eye. For example, we could experience occasional dryness and discomfort, or symptoms may be long lasting and even painful. Left untreated, contributes chronic dry eye which can cause damage to the surface of our eyes and damage eyesight.
Chronic Dry Eye
Chronic or long-term dry eye can occur when the tear glands don’t make the right amount or quality of tears to keep your eyes moist and protected. If you don’t have enough tears or an unhealthy tear film, dry spots can occur. These dry spots can feel painful and uncomfortable. They can be very irritating and cause burning or stinging. Chronic dry eye can damage the surface of your eyes and your vision. If you experience chronic dry eye, it is important to see an eye care specialist to seek treatment.
If you’re experiencing dry eye symptoms like the ones listed below, it is important to see an eye care specialist to correctly diagnose and treat your dry eye problem.
Common Causes
Dry eye is a very common disease and so are its causes. Many of our everyday activities and environmental surroundings can cause a decrease in our tear production or an unhealthy tear film leading to dry eye. Below are some of the common causes of dry eye.
Aging
As we grow older, our eyes make fewer tears, which can lead to dry eye. Many women entering menopause experience dry eye due to hormonal changes.
Contact Lenses
Long-term, continual use of contact lenses can cause dry eye.
Medications
Medicines such as allergy drugs, blood pressure medications (beta blockers), and birth control pills can cause dry eye. Be sure to tell your eye care specialist about all the medicines you are taking, including the medicines you can buy at the store without a prescription, for example, aspirin or allergy pills.
Other Medical Conditions
Conditions such as arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, or Sjögren’s syndrome can cause swelling, redness, and pain in the tear glands.
Frequent Eye & Eyelid Infections
Frequent infections in your eyes or eyelids can clog your eyes’ tear glands, causing dry eye.
Eye Medication
Many eye drops contain preservatives. Long-term use of eye drops that contain a preservative called benzalkonium chloride (BAK) have been shown to damage the surface of the eye and contribute to dry eye disease.
Computer Vision Syndrome
American Optometric Association defines this as a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer use. Many individuals experience eye discomfort and vision problems when viewing a computer screen for extended periods. The level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of computer use. Related symptoms are eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain.
Personal Health
Diet and nutrition are important to your overall body’s health, including your eyes. Taking supplements that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon or cod liver oil, and in Vitamins A, B, C, and E can help keep your eyes nourished and healthy.
Alcohol Consumption
Consuming too much alcohol causes the body to become dehydrated. Dehydration from alcohol consumption can cause dry eyes.
Smoking
Exacerbates dry eye symptoms.
Environment
When you are inside a home or an office, too much heat, air conditioning, or other forms of forced air can cause dry eye. Long-term viewing of a computer screen, television, or other digital monitor can also cause your eyes to become dry and tired. When you are outside, increased levels of wind, dust, heat, or smog can irritate your eyes and lead to significant dryness.
Dry Eye Symptoms
Depending on the stage of severity of your dry eye, the symptoms experienced can be different ranging from sudden bursts of watery eyes, to dryness of the eye, tired feeling eyes, and gritty (similiar to a grain of stand in your eye).
Left untreated dry eye can cause damage to your eyes and vision. If you have any of the symptoms below, you may have dry eye.
Eyes feel dry
Burning, itching, or stinging
Discomfort with contact lenses
Eyes feel tired
Watery eyes
Sensitivity to light
Scratchy, gritty feeling
Red or “bloodshot” eyes
Sensation of “something” in your eyes
Blurry or hazy vision
Frequent eyelid infections or sties
Diagnosing Dry Eye
Dry eye patients are unique in that their individual case could be related to any combination and number of direct and underlying causes. Helping your eye doctor to narrow down if your dry eye is evaporative or aqueous would be the first step. If your eye doctor offers a dry eye survey, complete it. Your answers are 50% of the work to determine your diagnosis. Your eye doctor can then determine the tests they may want to run.
Staining Tests
Lissamine green, rose bengal and fluorescein staining show where the mucin is no longer protecting the surface of your eye.
Paper Strip and Thread Tests
Measure your tear wetting & tear volume.
Know Your TBUT (Tear Break Up Time)
This is the time between your last blink and the first spot on your eye to dry under what is called a slit lamp.This is usually performed with a drop of fluorescein dye to clearly identify the dry spot.
Other Tests
Hand-held tear readers.
Explore Dry Eye Treatments
Once your eye doctor understands what may be triggering your dry eye symptoms, they can consider any combination of treatments for effective relief based on your individual dry eye diagnosis.
Quality Tears
Scrub & Cleanse
Diet & Nutrition
Hot/Cold Compress
Punctal Plugs
Quality Tears
Lubricating Eye Drops
Lubricating Eye Drops are artificial tears that replace any lost moisture on your eyes’ surface. The viscousness of artificial tears such as Oasis TEARS® PLUS and Oasis TEARS® lubricate the eyes to relieve the gritty dry sensations that cause irritation. Doctors often recommend preservative-free artificial tears such as these. Oasis TEARS® can be used as needed to relieve dry eye symptoms.
Scrub & Cleanse
Daily Lid Hygiene
Start an eye care regimen. Daily hygiene not only applies to your mouth; it also applies to your eyes. Take care of your eyelids and the delicate skin around them by using a hydrating gel cleanser daily. Lids, lashes and skin get moisturized using a gel cleanser like Oasis LID & LASH®, which increases the skins moisture in two weeks by up to 20% according to a third party testing facility using a Corneometer (a tool to measure skins moisture retention). Ask your eye doctor where eye lid hygiene may be a benefit.
Watch demonstration
Diet & Nutrition
Dietary Supplementation
Start an eye care regimen. Daily hygiene not only applies to your mouth; it also applies to your eyes. Take care of your eyelids and the delicate skin around them by using a hydrating gel cleanser daily. Lids, lashes and skin get moisturized using a gel cleanser like Oasis LID & LASH®, which increases the skins moisture in two weeks by up to 20% according to a third party testing facility using a Corneometer (a tool to measure skins moisture retention). Ask your eye doctor where eye lid hygiene may be a benefit.
Encourage Flow
Warm & Cold Compress
Start an eye care regimen. Daily hygiene not only applies to your mouth; it also applies to your eyes. Take care of your eyelids and the delicate skin around them by using a hydrating gel cleanser daily. Lids, lashes and skin get moisturized using a gel cleanser like Oasis LID & LASH®, which increases the skins moisture in two weeks by up to 20% according to a third party testing facility using a Corneometer (a tool to measure skins moisture retention). Ask your eye doctor where eye lid hygiene may be a benefit.
Watch demonstration
Punctal Plugs
Choices
All Duration Possibilities
Tears drain from your eyes through what is called the puncta and the canal below it called the canaliculous. Punctal plugs comfortably seal the drain, or puncta. This allows your own tears to remain on your eyes for a longer period of time.
Short Term
There are short-term punctal plugs that dissolve in up to 5 days.
Soft Plug®
Collagen Plug
Medium Term
Medium term or extended duration Punctal Plugs dissolve in up to 3 months or up to 6 months.
These dissolvable plugs sit inside the canaliculus and therefore are not visible.
Soft Plug®
Extended
duration 90
Soft Plug®
Extended
duration 180
Soft Plug®
Extended
duration 180-T
Long Term
If a patient prefers that their long-term plugs not be visible, then consider plugs made from hydrogel, a soft gelatinous material. These sit within the canaliculous clear from view.
The traditional long term silicone punctal plug has a cap and anchor design. The silicone plugs have a slightly visible cap exposed over the puncta and an anchor that sits within the canaliculous to prevent, or reduce, the draining of tears.
Punctal plugs come in different sizes so it takes a few minutes for placement and they are easily removed if necessary.
FORM FIT®
Canalicular plug
Soft Plug®
Silicone Plug
See the difference OASIS has made through the words of our customers.
We strive to make an impactful difference and we do this through genuine feedback of our customers.
“I have used Oasis TEARS PLUS for over a year. It comes in handy with my busy schedule and fast paced life. It has helped in every aspect of my life from allowing my vision to improve when I’m playing on the court to relieving the irritation and dryness of my eyes during my travels. OASIS has been a life saver.”
– Lindsey Napela Berg
3-time Olympian and International Volleyball Star
“We are using Oasis TEARS on our dry eye patients including some difficult patients where other therapies have failed. Several of these patients who have not been helped in any other way have turned completely around after treatment with Oasis TEARS PLUS.”
– Richard Castillo, OD, DO
The Oklahoma College of Optometry
Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK
“I have Sjogren’s and dry eyes are one of the symptoms… I needed to have a product I can depend on to keep them hydrated and stop that gritty itchy feeling. …I’ve found a product that not only feels good when I put it in, but continues to feel good… Thank you Oasis TEARS!”
– Charlene D.
New Jersey
Frequently Asked Questions
Related to Dry Eye Disease
- Use Oasis TEARS to lubricate and protect your eyes from irritation and dryness.
- Avoid drafts from heating and air conditioning vents in cars, airplanes, and closed environments.
- Take frequent breaks to relieve eye strain when using computers and digital screens for long periods of time.
- Using a humidifier may help relieve the symptoms of dry eyes.
- Remove and cleam contact lenses when your eyes are feeling dry.
- Certain over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs can contribute to dry eye problems. Talk to your eye care specialist and communicate what medications are being taken.
- If having refractive eye surgery to correct your vision (for example, nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism), your eye care professional may recommend preservative-free Oasis TEARS before and after surgery.
- Your eye care specialist may recommend making changes to your environment and also 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. This will increase your blink rate and lubrication of your eyes.
- Your eye care specialist may suggest decreasing or eliminating the use of certain medications that may cause Dry Eye.
If artificial tears are already being used several times a day without any relief, your dry eye may be categorized as moderate to severe Dry Eye. Punctum plugs are a treatment option that can be considered.
Punctum plugs are inserted into the tear duct of an eye to block tear drainage. This increases the eye’s tear film and surface moisture to relieve dry eyes. Oasis offers a wide range of punctum plugs, including SOFT PLUG® silicone punctum plugs, which are flexible, comfortable, and dependable; and FORM FIT® plugs made of a soft, bendable material that is easily removable. Contact your eye care specialist and ask if punctum plugs would help your chronic dry eye problem when used with Oasis TEARS.
Related to Oasis TEARS®
Oasis TEARS and TEARS PLUS are safe to use as often as needed since they contain no 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 symptoms.
Oasis TEARS is a preservative-free, viscoadaptive, lubricating eye drop formulation with the active ingredient, glycerin, to keep tears on the eye surface for a long time. This unique combination lubricates and moisturizes the surface of the eye for instant comfort. With each blink of the eye, it re-lubricates to provide long-lasting relief.
No. Artificial Tears (Lubricating Drops) are specifically used to treat Dry Eye, and are different from decongestants, contact lens rewetting solutions, and prescription eye drops.
Here are a break down of some differences:
1. Artificial Tears
- Specifically made to treat dry eyes by moisturizing and soothing the surface of the eyes for symptoms that include a dry, scratchy and gritty sensation.
- Oasis TEARS is an artificial tear that lubricates and protects against irritants.
2. Decongestants
- Used to remove redness due to irritation: works by shrinking the blood vessels to make eyes whiter
- Treats red eyes, does not treat dry eye problems
3. 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
1. Preserved Artificial Tears (Oasis TEARS® Multidose)
- Most artificial tears contain preservatives
- Usually available in multi-dose bottles
- Recommended for patients using drops less than 4 times per day
2. Preservative-Free Artificial Tears (Oasis TEARS® and Oasis TEARS® PLUS)
- Used to remove redness due to irritation: works by shrinking the blood vessels to make eyes whiter
- Treats red eyes, does not treat dry eye problems
3. Artificial Tears and ointments in thicker, stronger formulations
- Usually recommended for more severe dry eye symptoms and night-time use
- Oasis TEARS® PLUS is thicker, stronger, and preservative-free
