Eye plugs for dry eyes
If artificial tears or other eye drops have not relieved your dry eye symptoms, talk with your ophthalmologist -they may recommend trying punctal plugs.
Plugs don’t work for everyone.
They’re best if your eyes don’t produce enough tears or you have low-quality tears. Your doctor will probably start you on artificial tears or drops.
Punctal or Lacrimal plug is an inexpensive device used in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome is sometimes called Chronic Dry Eyes.
Puncta are the tiny openings that drain tears from your eyes. About the size of a grain of rice, the plug stops fluid from draining from the eye.
This helps keep the eye’s surface moist and comfortable, relieving itchy, burning and red eyes .
Punctal plugs are also called punctum plugs, lacrimal plugs or occluders.
Usually they are inserted in the puncta of the upper or lower eyelids , or in both. Another type of plug is placed in a deeper part of the tear duct (the canaliculus).
Two Types of Punctal Plugs Temporary/dissolving plugs
Causes of eye plugs for dry eyes
LASIK causing eye plugs for dry eyes
Your eyes may feel a little drier than usual after vision-correcting surgery, which is why eye doctors may recommend punctal plugs.
Dry eyes cause for eye plugs for dry eyes
When people suffer from dry eyes, the tears produced by the eyes don’t provide sufficient nourishment.
Dry eyes happen when the tear do not properly moist the eye.
Also, tears are made in your eyes that cause more of them, causing overflow.
When the tears get too big, your eyes may have dry eye syndrome.
One approach to treating dry eyes is plugging the openings to the tear ducts with tiny silicone plugs (punctal plugs).
These plugs close the tiny opening (punctum) that you have in the inner corner of your upper and lower eyelids. The closure conserves both your tears and lubricants.
The closure conserves both your own tears and artificial tears you may have added.
If I have punctal plugs, will I still need to use eye drops?
Should I give up my contact lenses?
Should I be concerned if I can see or feel the plugs?
Treatments for eye plugs for dry eyes
Punctal plugs are also called punctum plugs, lacrimal plugs or occluders.
Usually they are inserted in the puncta of the upper or lower eyelids , or in both.
Another type of plug is placed in a deeper part of the tear duct (the canaliculus).
These are made of a material (such as collagen) that gradually breaks down and is absorbed by the body.
These plugs can last in the eye from a few days to months.
LASIK- cause for eye plugs for dry eyes
Temporary plugs are often used to keep the eye moist after having refractive surgery , such as LASIK .
They are also used when you want to try out punctal plugs to see if they help relieve your dry eye.
Semi-permanent plugs These are made of a longer-lasting medical plastic (such as silicone or acrylic).
These are made of a material (such as collagen) that gradually breaks down and is absorbed by the body.
These plugs can last in the eye from a few days to months.
They are also used when you want to try out punctal plugs to see if they help relieve your dry eye. Semi-permanent plugs These are made of a longer-lasting medical plastic (such as silicone or acrylic).
How are punctal plugs inserted in tear ducts?
Eye doctor use a procedure called punctal occlusion surgery to insert punctal plugs, which may be a temporary or long-term solution.
On the day of your punctal plug insertion, expect the procedure to be surprisingly fast and easy!
They placed in the eye’s tear ducts (called puncta) .
Puncta are the tiny openings that drain tears from your eyes.
About the size of a grain of rice, the plug stops fluid from draining from the eye.
This helps keep the eye’s surface moist and comfortable, relieving itchy, burning and red eyes .
Temporary plugs for eye plugs for dry eyes
Dissolvable, temporary punctal plugs sometimes are used to determine if the treatment works for your dry eye condition.
If so, then semi-permanent punctal plugs might be considered.
The eye surgeon may need special instruments before determining the diameter of your tear duct openings (punctures).
These results help identify the correct size of a plug needed to block water flow into channels in order to secure it.
Some eye doctors only perform a light-sensitive, eye-spreading examination for an enlarged ptsal plug.
Depending upon the situation punctal plugs have a single size for all people.
During this procedure, the eye doctor uses local anesthetics for punctal placement to help prepare. Often anesthesia is not necessary.
An instrument may be used to dilate the tear duct opening for easier insertion.
Some punctal plugs are inserted just into the puncta so they still can be seen and mechanically removed if necessary.
Temporary plugs have to be inserted further into the puncta so they may take a little longer to put in place compared to the permanent plugs that sit on top of the lid margin.
Usually everything is finished in less than 10 minutes. The first day you may experience mild discomfort around the inner corner of you
Punctal plugs are also called punctum plugs, lacrimal plugs or occluders.
Usually they are inserted in the puncta of the upper or lower eyelids , or in both.
Another type of plug is placed in a deeper part of the tear duct (the canaliculus).
These are made of a material (such as collagen) that gradually breaks down and is absorbed by the body. These plugs can last in the eye from a few days to months.
The patient should be instructed to look down and temporally for ease of access to the superior punctum and so the patient is always looking away from where the plug is going to be inserted.
If inserting punctal plugs following punctal dilation:
1. Using the applicator that comes with the punctal plug, insert the plug into the punctum until the top of the plug is flush with the lid margin.
2. After insertion, ask the patient to blink a few times to ensure that the plug is in the correct position.
Prognosis of eye plugs for dry eyes
A study of 25 randomized studies on punctal plug use found that they improved symptoms by at least 50% and improved the health of skin around the eyes surface.
Patient satisfaction increased as the eyelids became less sensitive to tears.
if plugs are going to be effective treatment in 1 month, but it could be much faster for milder cases. I have had patients note improvement as quickly as within a week.
if you have an eye infection it is best to remove them and then have a new plug inserted when the infection is cleared.
They can also fall out (especially if you are rubbing your eyelids quite a bit), or fall down into the tear duct.
If these plugs fall down inside of your tear duct, they aren’t dissolvable so they will always be there.
If they need to be removed, they can be either irrigated or surgically removed.
Because of this risk, I tend to insert dissolvable plugs more frequently.
Permanent plugs: The Parasol plugs are very easy to insert and remove.
Your eye doctor may numb your tear ducts with anesthesia.
In some cases, you may not need to have your eyes numbed.
You may feel some pressure as the punctal plug is placed in your eyelid.
After the plugs are inserted, you are usually able to return to your normal activities right away.
Punctal Plug Possible Risks and Side Effects As with any treatment or procedure, punctal plugs can have possible risks and side effects.
The most common side effect is having a scratchy or irritating feeling in the corner of your eye.
Many people find this feeling goes away or they simply get used to it.
Types of eye plugs for dry eyes
Two Types of Punctal Plugs Temporary/dissolving plugs for dry eyes
Two general types of tear duct plugs are:
Semi-permanent , typically made of long-lasting materials such as silicone.
Dissolvable , made of materials such as collagen that the body eventually absorbs.
Temporary or dissolvable punctal plugs usually last from a few days to as long as several months.
Most collagen plugs last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Tear duct plugs can be crafted using a variety of materials that determine their lifespan. Almost all types of plugs have different functions.
Plugs are placed in the eye’s tear ducts (called puncta) .
Puncta are the tiny openings that drain tears from your eyes. About the size of a grain of rice, the plug stops fluid from draining from the eye.
This helps keep the eye’s surface moist and comfortable, relieving itchy, burning and red eyes .
Side effects and complications of eye plugs for dry eyes
Although punctal plugs can soothe dry eyes, they have varying side effects and consequences.
Punctal Plug Possible Risks and Side Effects
As with any treatment or procedure, punctal plugs can have possible risks and side effects.
The most common side effect is having a scratchy or irritating feeling in the corner of your eye. Many people find this feeling goes away or they simply get used to it.
Best dry eye treatment – TheraLife
The best treatment for chronic dry eyes-TheraLife
References
How Do Punctal Plugs Work? By Dennis Newman Medically Reviewed by Whitney Seltman, OD on February 21, 2022
How Do Punctal Plugs Work? By Dennis Newman Medically Reviewed by Whitney Seltman, OD on February 21, 2022 In this Article How Do They Work?
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Review. Punctal Plug Retention Rates for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Dry Eye: A Randomized, Double-Masked, Controlled Clinical Trial. Brissette AR, Mednick ZD, Schweitzer KD, Bona MD, Baxter SA. Brissette AR, et al. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Aug;160(2):238-242.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2015.05.013. Epub 2015 May
“Safety and Efficacy of Lacrimal Drainage System Plugs for Dry Eye Syndrome.” University of Iowa Health Care: “Removal of intracanalicular plugs.” Follow us Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram Follow on Tiktok © 2022
What to know about punctal plugs for dry eye Medically reviewed by Ann Marie Griff, O.D. — Written by Jon Johnson on June 4, 2018
