S M L

Dry eye treatments

Most dry eye can be treated medically.

One of the many artificial tear products

Simple strategies

There are some simple things you can do to help dry eyes.

• Avoid conditions that encourage evaporation of the tears such as air conditioning and hot dry heat from heaters and hairdryers.
• Wrap around sunglasses can stop the wind drying your eyes.

Artificial tear supplements

Many people with dry eyes need to top up their natural tear production with artificial tears. You do not need a prescription to buy or use most artificial tears.

As you can see from the table below, there are many different types of artificial tears. Some artificial tears are very watery, others are very thick. Some drops have preservative, others do not. Some cannot be used by contact lens wearers. Everyone’s eyes are different and it may take a while to find the drop that is right for you. 

Using artificial tear drops

The table below contains the name, lubricant and preservative of all the artificial tear drops currently available in New Zealand. The table is designed to help patients take control of their dry eye treatment by making therapy logical.

Start with a ‘thin’ drop. If it doesn’t seem to work, try using it more frequently or try another thin drop with a different preservative. Use the drops regularly. Dry eye treatment often fails because treatment is inadequate.

If you don’t get relief, use a thicker drop. If you develop an allergy (redness, itch etc) try a product with a different preservative or a non-preserved drop. Use preservative-free drops if drops are required more than 6 times a day. Ointments are usually too thick to use during the day. They are best used just before bed to give lasting relief overnight.