Our eyes need adequate lubrication and moisture to remain hydrated. A lack of it can lead to dry eyes. This lubrication is provided by basal tears that keep the cornea moist with every blink of the eye. Basal tears provide liquid protection to the eyes from the outer environment as well as nourish the eye cells.

Tears are produced by the glands placed around the eyes. When these glands fail to produce sufficient amount of basal tears, dry eyes can occur. There could be many reasons for dry eyes, and some include pregnancy, seasonal allergies, use of contact lenses, and taking certain medications like decongestants, blood pressure pills, and antihistamines.

There are many causes of dry eyes that include aging, medical conditions liked diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, laser eye surgery, and tear gland damage due to inflammation and radiation.

How LASIK causes dry eyes
LASIK (Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a laser eye surgery that aims at fixing refractive errors, which are imperfections in the focusing power of the eye. Some common refractive errors are myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia.

In a LASIK surgery, a small incision through the cornea is performed, which interrupts the ocular surface. An interruption in the ocular surface then results in visual disturbance and instability of the tear film.

A person with dry eyes can experience eye redness, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, stringy mucus around the eyes, and a scratchy burning sensation in the eyes.

Some ways to treat dry eyes include the use of artificial tears, cyclosporine, punctal plugs, and more.

How to control dry eyes
People facing dry eyes due to LASIK surgery often use RESTASIS® drops to increase tear production that often gets compromised by inflammation in the eyes. RESTASIS® contains cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressant, to control or manage ocular inflammation. Along with providing the eyes with artificial tears to remain moisturized and hydrated, RESTASIS® also improves post-operative comfort for the patient. It also stimulates the tear glands that often get compromised during a LASIK surgery.

RESTASIS® and  RESTASIS MultiDose ^® eye drops are the only FDA approved prescription medications for improving the production of basal tears.