Dry eye syndrome
Dry eye syndrome is a condition that commonly occurs before and after LASIK surgery. If you’re considering having LASIK surgery, it’s important that you understand the concept of Dry Eye Syndrome. Your surgeon should be able to discuss with you all about Dry Eye Syndrome so that treatment could easily be provided to you to maximize the results from your LASIK surgery.
The Tear Film
Let’s talk about first the tear film in the eyes. Normal tear film consists of three layers.
Oily layer
The outermost layer in the film and procuced by the Meibomian Glands. This layer produces a smooth tear film and prevents it from evaporating immediately.
Aqueous layer
The middle layer in the film and is produced by the Lacrimal Gland. It’s a watery layer that is responsible for washing away debris from the surface of the eyes. It’s what we normally think of as tears when we got something on our eyes, rub it off and we become teary-eyed.
Mucous layer
The innermost layer and is full of mucous produced by the conjuctiva. This layer allows the normal tear film to stick to the surface of the eye.
Whenever we blink, our eyelids smooths the tear film over our eyes which results to a clearer vision. People who have Dry Eyes however don’t have a smooth tear film and often have a blurry vision because of the lack of it.
LASIK and Dry Eyes
During the LASIK surgery, a “flap” is created to reshape the cornea. But when the flap is created, cornea nerves may be damaged due to the procedure, a completely normal thing with LASIK surgery. However, the nerves aren’t aware of that and these nerves are what signals the Lacrimal Gland to produce tears. So when there’s the temporary interruption of the corneal nerve impulses, fewer tears are produced, resulting to Dry Eye after the LASIK procedure.
Treatment
There are a number of ways to treat Dry Eyes. One method is by placing Tear Duct Plugs to help you retain the tears your eyes produce. Other ways include dietary supplements and prescription medications that help stimulate your natural tear film production.