I had Lasik done about 10 years ago and ever since my eyes have been very dry, to the point of being problematic. Dry eyes are a common side effect of the procedure and in my case, also brought sensitivity to bright light.


I had considered restasis, which is a prescription that help some produce more of their own tears. But, they can take a couple of months to work and and require a twice a day application of stinging drops and lots of people find it hard to stick with the regimen.

So yesterday, my ophthalmologist recommended punctal plugs, which essentially block the natural drainage from your eyes. He explained that your tear glands are like the faucet and the ducts (on both the upper and lower lids and located very close to the bridge of the nose) are like the drains. So, the idea is to stop or slow the drainage in the hopes moisture will stay longer on the eye surface.

He suggested I try the temporary versions which dissolve after a couple of months. If all went well, then I could be fitted for a permanent set.

This all sounded weird and awful but they were inserted in a matter of seconds with no discomfort at all. They look like a grain of rice.

He told me I would either see almost immediate relief or none at all. And one day later, I can already tell a big difference. In fact, I woke up this morning without crusty eyes for the first time in years. My eyes feel better and my vision is certainly clearer.


Wanted to share this with anyone experiencing similar problems. Lots of people get dry eyes just from aging and other circumstances and for me, this looks like it might be somewhat of a miracle cure.

Punctal Plugs for Dry Eyes - AllAboutVision.com