I recently underwent a series of treatments for dry eye syndrome. After not tolerating prescription eye drops and not finding much relief in behavioral and supplemental measures, I found that IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy significantly helped with my condition. 

As many of my patients suffer with the same condition, I wanted to share basic evidence-based principles of evaluation and treatment below:  

Common causes of dry eye disease:

• It’s multifactorial: multiple causes can contribute to dry eyes
• Generally, it’s due to decreased tear production or increased tear evaporation
  • Tear film dysfunction
  • Inflammation and damage of the eye surface

Risk factors:

• Females
• Advanced age
• Hormonal change (esp low androgen levels)
• Wearing contacts 
• Certain medications s.a. antihistamines
• Vitamin A deficiency
• Eye surgery
• Low humidity 
• Autoimmune conditions s.a., Sjogren’s and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Other conditions, such as diabetes
• Neurological and psychiatric conditions

Common symptoms:

• Eye discomfort, feeling gritty eyes, burning, itching, watering or blurry vision

Treatment:

• Artificial tears
• Warm compresses
• Frequent blinking and regular breaks from screens
• Avoiding heat and AC when possible
• Humidifier use
• Prescription eye drops s.a. ophthalmic cyclosporine
• Omega 3 fatty acids –  EPA+DHA although results are mixed PMID: 32917627; PMID: 30702470; PMID: 29652551
• Supplemental antioxidants
• Acupuncture
• For dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction, IPL with meibomian gland expression has been shown to be an effective and safe additional treatment option PMID: 35737696; PMID: 36452044

Note: the above is not an exhaustive list

If you think you may have dry eye disease, have an evaluation with your optometrist and/or your ophthalmologist for appropriate work up and management. 

Do not start new supplements or treatments without consulting your physician, optometrist or a qualified professional.