Punctal plugs can be VERY helpful for some with dry eyes. They can be helpful in those with evaporative dry eye and those who do not produce enough tears (aqueous insufficiency). Punctal plugs may not help though, if you have inflammatory dry eye. In some cases, this can be helped by medication (steroids or topical cyclosporin).

Seeing a dry eye specialist can get you on the right road.

Excellent question! For many patients with chronic dry eye, punctal plugs may help manage symptoms. There are several types of plugs (permanent versus dissolvable, for example), but these do not cure your disease and do carry some risks. We find that for many patients for whom prescription eye drops, supplements and specialized eyewear are not providing sufficient relief, punctal plugs can help. Be sure to visit a dry eye specialist and explore all your options.

Tear plugs are useful as a 4th or 5th line treatment when all else has failed in trying to treat incomplete blink, meibomian gland disease, decreased tear production and other common causes of "dry eye". It is an old approach to treatment that has a short lifespan of effectiveness before the tear system readapts to the imposition of plugs in the tear drainage system.

I have extensive experience with punctal plugs and have found them to be very useful in many dry eye situations. It is important to understand the type of dry eye and treat any underlying cause, including inflammation, exposure, and tear quality issues. But knowing when and how to use punctal plugs can give immediate relief in many circumstances.

Yes, they are safe and effective.

Dry eye disease is caused from a variety of underlying reasons. Treatment should target that underlying problem. Increasing how much water you drink - following the "Two-thirds Rule" is a great place to start. (The rule states that we should drink 2/3 of our body weight in ounces of water, including the fluids consumed with food. So, for a person weighing 175 lbs, x 2/3 = 117 ounces per day.) Available treatment methods for dry eye include lubrication drops, anti-inflammatory drops, fish oil vitamin supplements, and punctal plugs. When considering punctal plugs for my patients, I do the dissolvable collagen type first and if the patient experiences good relief from their symptoms then we discuss the permanent variety. The collagen plugs are naturally absorbed by our body, so will disappear within 10 days. If a patient experiences relief from symptoms soon after the plugs are put in, and then the symptoms come back (because the plug has dissolved) a few days later, that is a good indication that plugs are a good option to help that patient. Bottom line - Dry eye is not your imagination and there are a variety of effective treatments available. Discuss your specific type of dry eye with your doctor and target your treatment to address the underlying cause.

I do not go with punctal plugs(what you call tear duct plugs) as a first line treatment for dry eye syndrome. Depending on how inflamed the eyes are, I may treat with a steroid, add Omega 3 Fish Oil(must be top quality and 3grams per day), have the patient drink enough water, possibly Rx Restasis, use artificial tears, room humidifier and not necessarily in that order. I find a significant number of patients want the plugs removed after a short time.

Depends on the type of dry eye. There are many treatment options in addition to artificial tears, and not all artificial tears are created equal. Your eye doctor can recommend a treatment option and keep adding therapies until you get relief. Sometimes that includes punctal plugs.