The treatment of xerophthalmia is mainly to find out the cause of the disease and prescribe the right medicine according to the symptoms.

• Xerophthalmia caused by water deficiency
• Stimulation of lacrimal gland secretion: massage, hot compress, etc.
• Replenishment of artificial tears: This is the main way to treat xerophthalmia, including medicines and ointments, as well as sustained release products and products without artificial preservatives.
• Preservation of tears: Reducing tear evaporation and drainage by lowering indoor temperature, increasing humidity, wearing glasses for keeping out wind or preserving moisture.
• Reduction of tear drainage: lacrimal point embolization and lacrimal duct cauterization are performed to block the drainage channels of tears.
• Xerophthalmia caused by the lipid layer
• Change your lifestyle and do not stay up late.
• Avoid stimulating diets.
• Apply a hot compress to the eyes, 3-4 times a day, 5-10 minutes each time.
• Pay attention to the cleaning of eyelid margins.
• Blepharitis may require oral antibiotic treatment.
• Xerophthalmia caused by the mucin layer
• Too much mucin is secreted and drugs are given to dissolve it.
• Vitamin A supplements such as tomatoes, carrots, papaya, fish, milk, etc.
• Active treatment should be given for conjunctival allergy and inflammation.
• Conjunctival burns or trachoma scarring, leading to a serious shortage of mucin layers, can be treated with autologous conjunctiva or oral mucosa transplantation surgery.

To prevent the occurrence of xerophthalmia, in addition to maintaining a normal lifestyle and diet, you should change the habit of using your eyes, especially when you are office workers using computer terminals, the top of your computer screen should be no higher than eye level and you are advised to take regular rest (a 5-10 minute rest every 50 minutes), and pay attention to the blink times and range.

Why do some people get up in the morning with more severe symptoms?

Closing your eyes for rest only reduces the evaporation and discharge of tears, during which the secretion of tears decreases or even does not occur. So, patients with xerophthalmia, after awaking from sleep, may find that their eyelids seem to be stuck together and cannot be opened. For this reason, applying an ointment that moistens the eyes before going to bed can prevent the symptoms of xerophthalmia.

Cautions for wearing contact lenses

Before wearing contact lenses, you should first understand your tear secretion. Contact lenses are not right for those with dry eyes, while those with less tear production require wearing contact lenses with low water absorption, or switching to rigid lenses with high oxygen permeability, and should regularly receive follow-up examination of the eyes.

You people doing legwork may have exuberant sebaceous glands. They should develop the habit of cleaning eyelids and applying a hot compress every night (5 to 10 minutes each time). Some medications, such as antihistamines and sedatives, can affect the production of tears and should be avoided. Postmenopausal women may need estrogen supplements.

Notes for artificial tears

Owing to insufficient tears, patients with xerophthalmia often have to resort to artificial tears, wear protective glasses or avoid contact with warm and dry air. Where necessary, the upper and lower lacrimal points can be closed so that the few tears that remain can no longer drain away and stay in the conjunctival fornix as needed.

Since artificial tears in research and development are expected to be the least toxic to the eyes and stay on the surface of the eyes for a long time, artificial tears themselves will not cause harm to the eyes. However, artificial preservatives are added to some medicines to preserve their efficacy for longer periods of time. These ingredients may cause toxic damage to the eyeball, so for patients with xerophthalmia who need artificial tears, it is best to choose artificial tears without preservatives.

In addition to alleviating symptoms, the goal of xerophthalmia treatment is to maintain clear vision, because smooth and complete eyeball surface is very important. If xerophthalmia is not treated, it will increase the chance of corneal ulcers and infections, resulting in permanent corneal lesions (e.g. corneal leukoplakia), or even blindness, so it should be well controlled.