Autologous Serum Tears: An Innovative and Effective Dry Eye Treatment

Your environment can make your eyes feel dry occasionally. But aqueous-deficient dry eye disease, or dry eye disease, poses a more serious issue: Your eyes don’t produce enough tears, or the tears you produce lack the chemicals they need to provide sufficient lubrication. 

iSight Vision Care specializes in dry eye treatment that alleviates symptoms like redness, burning, and blurry vision. Located in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, California, ophthalmologist Vicki Lin, MD, and her team often use autologous serum tears to help your eyes lubricate themselves. 

Here’s everything you should know about dry eye treatment with autologous serum tears.

How autologous serum tears are made

Autologous serum tears aren’t the same as the artificial tears you can buy at the drugstore. Instead, these are eyedrops made using your own blood. Because they come from your body, they lubricate your eyes much like natural tears do. 

First, our team draws a blood sample from your arm. After collecting your blood, they place the sample in a centrifuge (a machine that spins quickly). The spinning motion causes the components in your blood to separate, allowing the team to collect only the serum (the liquid portion). 

They dilute the blood serum with saline or a similar sterile liquid. The resulting mixture is very similar to the tears your eyes naturally produce. 

Benefits of autologous serum tears for dry eyes

Compared to other dry eye treatments like artificial tears, autologous serum tears have advantages worth noting. 

Autologous serum tears: 

• Have minimal side effects
• May have more vitamin A than your normal tears
• May contain more growth factors than your normal tears
• Are easy to use
• Won’t be rejected by your eyes because they come from your own body 

Our team tells you how often you should use your autologous serum tears, but most people must use them several times daily for two weeks to six months. 

Choosing the right dry eye treatment

If you have persistent dry eye symptoms, don’t ignore them. Our team evaluates your symptoms and helps you choose the best dry eye treatment for your case. 

You might be a candidate for autologous serum tears if you have moderate to severe dry eye symptoms like:

• Burning or itchy eyes
• The feeling that something is stuck in your eye
• Light sensitivity
• Mucus in and around your eyes
• Eye redness
• Watery eyes
• Blurry vision
• Eye fatigue
• Trouble wearing your contact lenses

To learn more about autologous serum tears and other dry eye treatments, call iSight Vision Care or request an appointment online today.