Punctal Plugs for Dry Eye Relief

Help Your Eyes Keep the Tears They Need

If your eyes constantly feel dry, gritty, or irritated—even though you’re using artificial tears—your eyes may not be retaining enough natural moisture. One common solution is a tiny device called a punctal plug, which helps your eyes hold onto tears longer, keeping them better lubricated and more comfortable.

This simple, in-office treatment is fast, safe, and especially helpful for patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease who haven’t found full relief with eye drops alone.

What Are Punctal Plugs?

Punctal plugs are tiny, biocompatible devices that are inserted into your tear ducts (also known as “puncta”) to slow or block tear drainage. When your tears don’t drain away as quickly, more moisture stays on the surface of your eyes—giving you longer-lasting hydration and relief from dryness.

There are two main types of punctal plugs:

Why Use Punctal Plugs for Dry Eyes?

Dry eye disease often occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears—or when the tears evaporate or drain away too quickly. Even if you use artificial tears regularly, your eyes might not be able to retain moisture effectively. That’s where punctal plugs come in.

By slowing the drainage of tears through the tear ducts, punctal plugs help:

• Keep the eye’s surface more consistently lubricated
  
• Improve comfort and reduce irritation
  
• Enhance the effectiveness of artificial tears or prescription eye drops
  
• Reduce the need for frequent drop application
  

This treatment is especially useful in cases of aqueous-deficient dry eye, where tear production is low.

How the Procedure Works

Inserting punctal plugs is a quick and straightforward in-office procedure performed by your eye doctor. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Evaluation: We’ll examine your eyes to determine if punctal plugs are appropriate and decide which type is best.
   
2. Placement: Using a magnified view, your doctor will gently place the plugs into the puncta of your upper or lower eyelids (or both). A numbing drop may be used for added comfort.
   
3. No Downtime: The procedure takes just a few minutes and there’s no recovery time—you can return to your normal activities right away.
   

Most patients don’t feel the plugs once they’re in place, and they begin to notice symptom relief within a few days to a couple of weeks.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Punctal Plugs?

You may be a great candidate for punctal plugs if:

• You have moderate to severe dry eye symptoms
  
• Artificial tears or other treatments haven’t provided lasting relief
  
• Your eye doctor finds that your tears drain too quickly
  
• You have underlying conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome, post-surgical dry eye, or contact lens intolerance
  

We’ll evaluate your symptoms, tear quality, and drainage to determine if this treatment is right for you.

Benefits of Punctal Plugs

Many patients find punctal plugs to be a game-changer in their dry eye management. Key benefits include:

Punctal Plugs vs. Other Dry Eye Treatments

Unlike eye drops that only replace tears, punctal plugs help preserve the natural tears your eyes already produce. This makes them an excellent option to add on when other treatments alone aren’t enough.

Here’s how they compare:

For many patients, the most effective approach combines punctal plugs with other therapies as part of a personalized dry eye plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Preserve Your Tears, Relieve Your Dry Eye

Dry eyes don’t have to disrupt your day. With punctal plugs, you can restore moisture, reduce irritation, and improve your quality of life—quickly and comfortably.

If you’re interested in long-lasting relief, schedule a consultation with our team to find out if punctal plugs are right for you.