Every day
Care at home
Daily care is where most dry eye plans begin, and it stays part of the plan when treatment in the office is added. Your doctor tailors each step to your tests.
These steps can help people feel better. Results vary.
- Sudden vision loss, flashes of light, a curtain over your vision, a chemical splash or an eye injury needs care now. Call our office right away or go to an emergency room. If you can't reach us, call 911.
The four basics
What you do each day
Warm compress and lid cleaning
A warm compress for several minutes, then a gentle wipe along the lash line. We show you how at your visit.
Once or twice a day
A clean cloth or a heated mask your doctor recommends
Lubricating drops
Preservative-free drops through the day. Your doctor picks the type, and how often depends on your tests.
Keep them with you
Wait a few minutes between different drops
Screen and room habits
Look away and blink fully every 20 minutes, set the screen a little below eye level and keep air from blowing on your face.
At your desk
In the car and at night
Contact lens care
Replace lenses on schedule, use the solution your doctor names and give your eyes a lens-free day or evening if we advise it.
Never sleep in lenses unless we have fitted them for it
Who sees you
Where this fits in your visits
At your evaluation
Your doctor shows you each step and writes down your plan.
At a follow-up
We ask what is working, recheck your eyes and change the plan if it needs changing.
Questions
About care at home
Which drops should I use?
Your doctor chooses after the tests. Preservative-free drops are common, and drops that only take the redness out are not part of this plan.
How long until I notice a difference?
It varies. Some people notice a change in a couple of weeks, and others take longer. We recheck at your follow-up.
Not sure where to start?
A dry eye evaluation tells us which of these steps your eyes need most.