New treatments helping sufferers of dry-eye syndrome

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Health & Science: New treatments helping sufferers of dry-eye syndrome

(March 14, 2002 4:22 p.m. EST) - The only way 79-year-old Lillian Albers gets

relief from eye dryness is to put drops in her

eyes every two hours and use an ointment at bedtime.

" If you've ever had the pain, you'll stay on the schedule, " said Albers, who

suffers from dry-eye syndrome. Last

November, the dryness got so bad she woke up with an extreme pain in one of her

eyes.

As people age, the body's ability to create tears starts to decline. In some

cases, the dryness is bad enough to be

considered a syndrome. The Schepens Eye Research Institute in Boston estimates

that nearly 75 percent of people older

than 65 have the syndrome.

The condition can't be prevented. But that's not to say senior citizens have to

suffer - artificial tears and even tear-duct

implants are available. The implants help plug drainage ducts and keep tears

from draining as quickly.

" Tears are not just water, " said Dr. Jerry Hunsaker, an opthalmologist. " They're

a complex sandwich made up of an

interlayer of mucus, a central watery layer and then an oil layer on the

surface. "

Any of the three layers can be over- or underproduced by the body. The paradox

to dry-eye syndrome is that some

people's eyes can overwater, he said.

" If any of those layers are inadequate, tears don't function properly, leading

to irritation of the eye. It will stimulate

production of what the eye can make, like watering, " Hunsaker said.

The wind can really be a problem for dry-eye sufferers.

" When it's windy and the mold is high, I try not to go out, " said Albers, of

Corpus Christi, Texas. " I don't think that is good

for me. "

Many medications, like antihistamines, female hormones and motion sickness

pills, also contribute to eye and mouth

dryness. A little-known autoimmune disease, Sjogren's Syndrome, causes mouth and

eye dryness.

And all sorts of typically benign situations can dry eyes out: air-conditioning

vents, blow dryers, ceiling fans and staring too

much while driving or typing.

A routine test can show symptoms of dry eyes. A cobalt-blue dye is placed on the

eye.

" The dry areas will glow under the light, " said optometrist Walz. " It

helps diagnose it. "

Walz said many dry-eye patients not only have a gritty feeling in their eyes,

but also blurred vision.

" It will blur your vision because the surface of the cornea is irregular and you

get a blurred image, " he said. " That's

usually their main complaint. "

For Albers, a combination of daily drops, nighttime ointments and precautions

like staying out of the wind keeps her eye

dryness under control.

" So far it's working. I'm hoping it will continue like that, " Albers said. " I am

better and I can see better. "