DRY EYE

Dry eye means that the eyes are not making enough tears. Use artificial tear drops to keep the eyes moist and healthy. Use the drops about every 2 hours for the first few days. After this, use the drops less frequently, but always use them often enough to stop the dry feeling coming back.

If the eyes are kept moist, there should not be any harm to the eyesight. If you get severe pain, redness or other symptoms that worry you, please make an urgent appointment to see your doctor.

Remember, never allow your drops to run out. Always get a replacement prescription before this happens. Throw away each bottle after 4 weeks, even if the drops have not all been used up. Wash your hands before and after putting your drops in.

Treatment failure

Initial treatment failure does not necessarily indicate a wrong diagnosis. Consider the following possibilities:

• was patient education adequate, and is the patient using the drops correctly?
• try a more viscous artificial tear preparation or a different viscous agent (e.g. Polyvinyl alcohol or carbomer gel) instead of hypromellose
• check for coexisting blepharitis; treat vigorously if present with lid hygiene and antibiotic ointment to the lid margins