How Do Punctum Plugs Help Dry Eyes?

Punctum plugs are small devices that block the drainage of the tear ducts. They help relieve the symptoms of chronic dry eye. They do this by dealing with a low quantity of tears. Doctors use the process of punctal occlusion surgery to insert these plugs.

Dry Eye

A healthy ocular surface requires a stable tear film. The tear film acts as a barrier protecting the surface of your eye from the external environment. When there is an insufficient tear film, it results in the dry eye condition. 

A dry eye condition can result from having low quality or quantity of tears. Thus, a major cause of this condition is the deficiency or lack of aqueous tears. The deficiency results from lacrimal gland dysfunction. Doctors can sort this damage to the lacrimal gland through punctal occlusion or punctal plug therapy.

Punctal Plug Therapy

Punctum or punctal plugs work the same way a drain stopper stops water from draining out of a bathroom. Blocking the tear drainage channel helps the tear film stay on the eye surface. It reduces the need for eye drops, conserving both artificial and natural tears. The tear film hydrates and protects your eye from dust, debris, and bacteria.

Types of Punctum Plugs

There are three types of plugs. They are temporary, silicone, and intracanalicular plugs. 

Temporary Plugs

Temporary or collagen plugs dissolve and break down. When they do, the body absorbs them. They can last on your eyes for a few days or months. Doctors use these temporary plugs for patients after refractive surgery to help relieve dry eyes. They also use them initially before deciding which type of semi-permanent plugs you will need.

Semi-permanent Plugs

Semi-permanent plugs do not dissolve, and they can stay in the eye for years. Removal is done by an ophthalmologist when there is a need to remove the plugs. They are of two types: silicone or acrylic plugs and intracanalicular plugs.

Silicone plugs may be visible but not in a distracting way. They can last for years, but you can have your doctor remove them if your body reacts negatively. Intracanalicular plugs go further into the tear ducts. They offer a more permanent solution to leaking and the low quantity of tears. 

To remove them, you must have surgery. But before the doctor inserts the intracanalicular plugs, they will check how you react to them.

Insertion of the Plugs

The doctor numbs your tear ducts to prevent irritation and inserts the plugs directly into them. The process does not take long, and it is usually over within minutes. You may experience slight discomfort, but punctum plugs are not painful. When the process is over, you may not even feel them.

Recovery

Recovery is very fast since it is not a major procedure. Once the procedure is over, you will return to the normal use of your eyes. The first punctum plugs you will get are the temporary, dissolvable ones. 

The doctor will observe how you react to them before giving you a more semi-permanent. There is no cure for dry eye, only treatments to help with the symptoms. In this case, low quantity of tears.

For more information on dry eyes and punctum plugs, visit Lifetime Vision and Eye Care at our office in Miami Gardens, Florida. You can call (305) 902-3320 today to schedule an appointment.