Dry Eye- how to manage?
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ML is a 38-year-old woman who is complaining of her eyes feeling tired. She states that it feels like there is sand in her eyes. Eyes are mildly red. She claims that they are often red and feel like they are dry. ML states she has no medical conditions and takes a multivitamin daily. She has no allergies and would like a recommendation for her dry eyes.
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@amina ML appears to be suffering from dry eyes and has no warning signs; therefore, she is a candidate for OTC treatment. Because her dry eyes appear to be mild, an ocular lubricant would be warranted. Cellulose ethers are common in formulations of lubricant eye drops, including hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 0.3% to 0.8% and carboxymethylcellulose 0.5% and 1.0%. Other vehicles could be polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) 1.4% or povidone 0.6%. Many OTC lubricant eye drops contain these vehicles, which can increase the viscosity, thereby increasing the drug’s action. Most patients with a mild case of dry eye, including ML, would instill drops once or twice daily in the affected eye.