Recognizing the Early Signs of Cataracts
Cataracts might not cause any symptoms at first. As symptoms set in, it’s important to know what to look for and when to talk to your optometrist. Learn about early cataract symptoms here.
Relief for Dry Eyes: Exploring the Latest Treatment Options
If your eyes are constantly watering, itching, or burning, you might assume you have dust in them or allergies. But for about 16.4 million people in the United States, these symptoms come from a common eye condition called dry eye.
Beyond the discomfort, dry eye can impact your vision. If you experience classic dry eye symptoms like stinging, blurry vision, and light sensitivity, ophthalmologist Vicki Lin, MD, can provide the latest and most effective treatments at iSight Vision Care in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, California.
Here, we review the causes of dry eye and how modern treatments offer significant relief.
Understanding dry eye
Dry eye doesn’t just happen because of dry air or wind blowing into your eyes. You develop dry eye when your eyes don’t produce enough chemically balanced tears to lubricate your eyes’ surfaces. You either don’t produce enough tears, or the tears you produce don’t work well.
Without proper lubrication, your eyes constantly feel dry and irritated. In addition to lubricating your eyes, your tears help get rid of dust and debris. Without them, your eyes are more vulnerable to infections.
How eyedrops can help with dry eye
Many people turn to eyedrops to alleviate dry eye symptoms like itching and burning. Over-the-counter eyedrops might offer some relief, but prescription eyedrops increase natural tear production more effectively.
Several new prescription eyedrops for dry eyes were released in 2025, and many more are in development. Dr. Lin prescribes specific eyedrops based on how they work. For example, some medications stimulate specific tear glands to produce more tears. Others alleviate irritation differently, such as using hyaluronic acid to artificially lubricate your eyes.
How punctal plugs can help with dry eye
Dr. Lin might recommend punctal plugs to keep tears in your eyes. They are tiny stoppers that seal off your tear ducts, and can also help eyedrops do their job more effectively.
Understanding autologous serum tears for dry eye
Autologous serum tears, a specific type of eyedrop, go a step further to lubricate dry eyes.
Your natural tears contain specialized growth factors that work to keep the surfaces of your eyes healthy, which aren’t present in artificial tears. Autologous serum tears are made using your own blood, which contains these growth factors.
Dr. Lin processes your blood sample into a serum to isolate the needed growth factors. She mixes the serum with saline to create the autologous serum tears. The product has the same pH as your body, so it won’t cause further eye irritation or problems.
Treat your dry eyes today
Put a stop to eye irritation and restore your vision with advanced dry eye treatment at iSight Vision Care. Call the nearest office to request an appointment today.
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