#176: Thankful for Dry Eye Relief
I wanted to continue to review a few of the new innovations that I am thankful for in 2022. This one is a new prescription medication that was FDA approved almost exactly one year ago. It is used to treat both the signs and the symptoms of dry eye disease. And, that is super important.
Tyrvaya is the first and only nasal spray that's FDA approved to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. It's a nasal spray that we use to stimulate a nerve in the nose which sends a signal back to the eye to tell it to produce a full bodied robust tear. This is not just a reflex tear because something irritated you. The medication helps increase the volume of tears in your eyes. And, it increases the harmony on your eye because it is increasing all of the components of the tears not just adding water.
What about using Artificial Tears?
When you use artificial tears, you are increasing the volume of liquid on the front surface of your eye. Increasing the water level will dilute the healthy components of the tears. This can be good if there is too much inflammation on the eye. The tears will dilute and rinse away that added inflammation. However, it may also dilute the good components of tears like the moisturizing oils needed to soothe and coat the eye.
Now that it's winter time, your hands may be very chapped and dry. If you wash them, will it make them feel more moisturized? No, absolutely not. Right? Adding water onto your body does not help the dryness. You need oils, mucins, and other proteins to moisturize your eyes. And although artificial tears have come a long way in the past decade, they're still not a replacement for your own natural tear film.
How is Tyrvaya different from Artificial Tears?
Tyrvaya Nasal Spray stimulates production of your own tear film back. It produces tears that contain all 2000 components of natural tears, including proteins, oils, mucins, and anti-inflammatories. All of these components coat the front surface of your eyes to moisturize, protect, and heal.
Tyrvaya is different from a nasal spray that you may have used in the past for sinuses or allergies. When you spray it in your nose, you will aim to the side of your nostril. Then, you don’t need to sniff the medication into your sinuses. Instead, spray it towards the edge of each nostril. Then, pinch your nose or you can simply hold your breath until it absorbs. Watch a demonstration of the proper technique here.
The medication sends a signal back to your eye to stimulate production of robust tears. These tears contain all 2,000 components of healthy tears. Your eyes will use these to coat the surface and heal the dryness.
Tyrvaya is a Prescription Medication
Tyrvaya is not an over-the-counter nasal spray. You must have a prescription to obtain Tyrvaya. Please schedule an appointment with your eye care provider to see if Tyrvaya is a good fit to treat your dry eye disease.
