Chronic dry eye treatment

you can get duct plugs that keep your tears from draining out of your eyes.  they have temporary ones that will last a week or so in order for you to test it out.  then if it works, you can get more permanent ones.  

I also had dry eye diagnosis and eye pain.  but in the end, it turned out to be more eye strain than actual dry eye that was causing all my issues.  too much screen.  once I got bifocals/progressive glasses, that basically fixed my issue, as my eyes weren't working so hard all day anymore.  maybe a pair of computer glasses will do the same thing.  

I suggest reducing fragrances.  No cologne, no perfume. Fragrance free shampoo, soap, dish detergent, laundry detergent, etc. No air fresheners. Stop using makeup for a week or two to see if that helps. Reduce exposure to dust, pollen, natural gas, etc. I hope you find some relief. 

You may want to consider the UC Berkeley dry eye clinic that is run through their school of optometry.  To be fair, they will likely recommend warm compress and preservative free eye drops, but also possibly some prescription options.  

Howdy,  I, too, got frustrated with Kaiser about an eye malady that i was having ... wanted more info and recommendation(s) for treatment.

Went to UC School of Optometry, 200 Minor Hall (on campus);  510-642-2020.  I got an appointment within a week (it's possible they can tell you the cost right over the phone, depending on type of appointment), got a very thorough exam, retinal pics, etc., all for under $300.  They asked if I could come back on Wednesday, the day their retinal specialist is in; I went back and got more input, as well as some referrals as to whom I might see at Kaiser for surgery.  Very pleased with their help, advice, etc.  Good luck to you.

Hey this happened to me too in my early 30s. It’s gotten a lot better, not resolved, but im rarely bothered by it and it used to be a daily issue. My optometrist recommended taking omega 3s — epa is the one that’s most helpful for eyes. I take 900 mg per day. The gel drops were more helpful for me after my optometrist recommended twice a day vs once a day. 

Other things that helped me were reducing my contact lens use and increasing my use of sunglasses. The improvement has also coincided with reduced alcohol use, but that could be coincidental. 

Hope this helps! Good luck. 

I have dry eye as well. My doctor recommended supplementing omega 3 and using eyelid wipes with tea tree oil. This has helped me a lot. I've also been more aware of blinking fully and trying to get more sleep. I know these are professional treatments, but I hope it helps.

Maybe see an opthamologist outside of Kaiser, even if it's costly.  Mine, Dr. Janik at Sorensen and Sorensen, is great.  "Dry eyes" actually involve eyes that constantly water (at least mine do), so I'm wondering if you have a different problem.  Also wondering if you have allergies, which would also explain the feeling exhausted. Or it could be something else entirely.  

Hi.  A number of years ago I went to the UC Berkeley Optometry school where they determined that I had rosacea of the eyelids and suggested everything you mentioned as well as IPL.  There are eye doctors who do do this; however, since insurance doesn't pay for this, I usually buy a Groupon package for IPL at a medspa and get IPL on my entire face (because I also have rosacea on my cheeks).  It doesn't cure my dry eyes but manages it so that my eyes don't water at weird times like when I'm having a meeting with my boss.  I can tell when it is time to go back for another round or two when my eyes start watering.   IPL is a bit painful (some places they will use numbing cream before hand, but other places say that it works better if you don't use the numbing cream), but for me it is worth the 30 min of discomfort.  My face is normally red for an afternoon but generally there is no down time, peeling, etc.  

IPL may only help if you have rosacea of the eyelids so maybe see if Kaiser can tell you what the cause of the dry eyes is or pay out of pocket at UCB optometry school.  Good luck!

Wow, I am so sorry to hear that you are having dry eye syndrome!  Our 33-year-old daughter has been coping with it for three years.  She could have written your post!

After a lot of medical visits to Kaiser and a workup by an excellent non-Kaiser ophthalmologist, our daughter says that no doctor has provided any particularly useful information.  She has been worked up for migraine headaches, brain tumor and who-knows-what-else.

But she has devised the following effective strategy on her own:

1. The most effective treatment is to steam the eyes in the morning, at night, and any time they get sore.  This involves filling a bowl with boiling water and leaning over the bowl for ten minutes, with a big scarf making a tent over your head.  One camomile tea bag in the water is pleasant, but optional.

2. "Artificial tears" eyedrops are also helpful - but it is essential to only use ones that are preservative-free.  Kaiser eventually prescribed her "artificial tears" that were made with serum from her own blood.  This formulation is helpful.

3. Don't wear any eye makeup.  Keep all skin products at least one inch away from the eyes.

Family members have observed that stress seems to increase our daughter's eye pain.

She says there is advice on the Subreddit for Dry Eye Syndrome, but she will not vouch for any of it.

One postscript on eyedrops:  I, her mother, do not have dry eye syndrome, but I must use a variety of eyedrops to control glaucoma. 

After the first few months, I manifested allergic symptoms to all types of prescribed eyedrops, except for the preservative free Zioptan and Cosopt.  These are very expensive, and not on any insurer's formulary.  The flaky medical partner of one of the ophthalmologists that I have seen prescribed a less-expensive generic eyedrop called Tafluprost. It made me break out in an itchy rash all over my body. It took six months to clear this up.  Some people may be able to take the cheaper generic drugs without side effects, but heads up!

Prior to our daughter presenting with dry eye syndrome, I had never heard of the condition.  It must be a "novel" disease, and may be related to the fact that people are spending a lot of time staring at screens without blinking. She says that when she is at work looking at a screen in an air-conditioned office, that's when the serum eyedrops are helpful.

In terns of public health policy, it will probably take some time before this condition is better understood, and a more targeted method is developed for preventing it and clearing it up once it presents.

Wishing you all the best.

For my dry eyes - My ophthalmologist put little plugs in my tear ducts, to help hold in the tears. They keep the eyes from drying out. They worked great! The procedure is fast and easy. They dissolve naturally over time, so you get them replaced every few months. I’m not in Kaiser. I see Dr. Kevin Denny in SF 

This is a very irritating condition.  What helped me was to look at omega 3 fats in my diet.  I had followed a low fat diet for many years, and it took a few years to restore my body.  It wasn't only that I was low in omega 3 fats, but also that I had an imbalance, with excess omega 6 fats.  I took flax seed oil as a supplement for some time, but I see that is not as recommended as a supplement now, as it requires conversion to the type of omega 3 that is more beneficial.  Now I see that there are tests that can help identify the balance.  The newsletter on "Job Description for Your Food" by functional medicine doctor, Myrto Ashe, https://simple-science.beehiiv.com/ has info on testing for levels of omega 3, omega 6 and trans fat.  Perhaps you can share an article like this https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10672334/ with Kaiser providers to see if they can support you on this. 

Oh, do I feel you. It's crazy making. FWIW I find the ointment so much more helpful than the drops. I put a big gob of it in at night, and just a tiny smidge before I go outside if it's cold and windy, for ex. If it's just a tiny smidge it doesn't substantially blur my vision and the ointment has staying power, unlike the drops. Apparently at the UCB eye clinic they have some kind of machine that heats and expresses your meibomian glands. You'd probably have to pay out of pocket for it. I haven't tried it. I just saw Dr. Azus in Kaiser Oakland eye department and he prescribed me cyclosporine eye drops that I think are helping some. Have you already tried that or the autologous serum drops? Other stuff on the menu that I do - fish oil supplements, punctal plugs, wraparound sunglasses and a bike helmet with a face shield. Good luck. 

I have a rare corneal disease and saw 7 doctors at the UCSF cornea clinic and the best they could offer my non-healing dry eye was a tarsoplasty (partially sewing your eyelids together) which sounded horrible. I then went to the amazing Dr. David Vastine at Northern California Cornea (now retired but all their MDs great) and in the first 15 min he put in tear duct plugs and cured my dry eyes after 18 months of misery!  Total miracle.