Punctal Plugs for Dry Eyes

Ever heard of using punctal plugs for dry eye disease? Punctal plugs help keep your natural tears on the surface of the eye and are a great option for some types of dry eye syndrome!
#dryeye #dryeyetreatment #doctoreyehealth

Punctal plugs are small eyelid plugs placed in the punctum, the small drainage hole located near the nose of each eyelid. There are puncta located on both the top and bottom eyelids near the nose.

The punctal plug procedure is very easy and all eye care professionals are trained and tested on this procedure. The procedure to place the punctal plugs usually only takes a few minutes. Oftentimes, eye doctors only place punctal plugs on the lower eyelids because that helps most people, but on occasion, and in my experience, people with autoimmune conditions such as Sjogrens syndrome may benefit from having the plugs placed on the top eyelids as well.

Types of punctal plugs: There are several punctal plug types. There is a temporary punctal plug made of collagen which often dissolves over a couple weeks (used as a trial). There is a semi-permanent synthetic punctal plug which can last up to 6 months and then there is a permanent punctal plug which is made of silicone. Umbrella punctal plugs are sometimes a name used to describe permanent punctal plugs because they appear like small umbrellas (depending on the design).

Punctal plugs risk and side effects: side effects are rare but there is always a risk of irritation or infection with placement of plugs. Thankfully, if there is ever a problem the plugs may be removed and antibiotics can be prescribed to manage an infection.

⚡Videos about dry eye treatment⚡

My Dry Eye Home Treatment Routine

Best Omega 3s for dry eyes

Natural dry eye treatments you can try at home

Advanced dry eye treatments (medications and procedures)

Note: Dry eye syndrome can be complicated by other forms of ocular surface disease and it is always best to consult with your local eye care professional if you are experiencing any eye pain or vision changes.

🟡 SHOW NOTES🟡

Want to find the best warm compress for you? Check out our reviews

After an eyelid warm compress, many eye doctors recommend doing an eyelid massage to encourage the oil glands to release the now-melted oils.

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✅ Want to know about my favorite dry eye drops? Check out this video

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[heland]

I have Sjogrens and it's my first time to hear about this! Thank you!

[annegreenwood]

i have extremely dry eye due to my illness it’s hard to find the best eye drops but all your videos, advice such a great help

[genlovell]

Once I found a dry eye routine that worked for me and I changed my diet to include lots of healthy veggies like dark leafy greens and fresh freshly sautéed and less if any sodas and junk food, AND FISH 3x/week, it didn’t matter as much what brand of eye drops, they all worked the same. 😊❤

[texasgirl]

I have Sjögren’s syndrome; I have had punctual plugs put in 8 times, in my lifetime. Diagnosed in 1996. Thanks for all your informative videos! 👓

[ninidvali]

We use plugs routinely in Keratoconus and refractive patients with great results!

[Kaarver]

I thought I had dry eyes for about 15 years, since I first began wearing contact lenses, until my new optometrist suggested I try contact lenses with a different base curve (a flatter shape).
No more itchy, sore eyes, it was such a relief! Most contact lenses come in one, standard, base curve only. I wonder how many who never find out they’re actually not suffering from dry eyes, but from ill-fitting contact lenses.
Having said that, it’s great that there is efficient treatment for dry eyes 😊!

[kyliesk]

I got these plugs in high school to help make my contacts more comfortable. After 4 years of having them, I started having scar tissue grow out of the ducts the plugs were put in. It was WILD and looked like a tiny little worm growing out of that little duct. It’s been almost 8 years since the scar tissue thing and thankfully haven’t had anymore

[Lakridza]

I have the plugs! It’s due to graft vrs host disease after bone marrow transplant. They are the best thing I had done!

[jujubarnett]

Very helpful info! I have chronic dry eyes, and I'm getting the procedure again soon. The last time, the effects lasted about 4 months.

[JanMuench]

Hey, I gotta say you have some really useful videos on your channel. I’ve been having erectile dysfunction for over 8 months now, it’s really affecting me and I’m worried

[sandranodine]

I have these plugs and have had them for years now. They do work well and keep my eyes more moist then before. I do have to once in a while get drops for dry eye when I have a round of it maybe in the spring and fall or winter, but that’s it.

[tyrarichburg]

WOW O NEVER KNEW I HAD AN OPTION OTHER THAN EYE DROPS

[lisaschooler]

Just got these a couple of days ago (started with the collagen dissolvable ones) - I am definitely noticing a big improvement. I’ve used eyedrops maybe twice today and normally I would’ve use them eight times plus even then have to be near a humidifier. Definitely feeling relief!
I would give the procedure itself ranking of two on a scale of one to 10 of discomfort painful. The pressure test they did with my eyes first was the “2” The actual insertion of the punctal plug was a one (I’m not squeamish about my eyes though). SO happy I finally got this done!

Side note: I do also have some MGD; but the ophthalmologist said the punctal plugs would probably still work in my case. .

[mariablanch]

Are plugs advisable got someone with Lupus? I ask bc I you mentioned if patient has inflammation is not recommended.

[mahalaxmidayal]

Some time before I have severe dry eyes. Finally I got the result... I want to share some information that.... In India, many eyes hospitals are here those will give permanent relief.. 👍🏻👍🏻

[takeadeepbreathin]

My eyes were soooo dry and I got those plugs. They’ve really helped me. Dang eye doctor told me that my insurance would cover it. My insurance did not cover it so now I can’t go back to my eye doctor unless I pay for it. Can’t do that right now so a new eye doctor it is. I don’t understand why they said they were covered when they weren’t so make 100% certain your insurance will cover this or that you can afford it.

[adriennejones]

Thank you for mentioning Sjogrens! It does not get the attention it deserves.

[NYLazyme]

Wow definitely need to look into this after my Lasik surgery my eyes just became as dry as the dessert

[Lisa_RNHealthHub]

Thanks to punctal plugs, I now have had bilateral DCR surgery.

[alishaparker]

That’s cool I have autoimmune diseases n my eyes are always dry my eyes can’t take contacts bc of the dryness I never knew this existed it’s pretty amazing tbh. Thank u. Can u tell me why/how you can experience blindness w Hydroxychloroquine medication for autoimmune diseases?