From a hot wand to night goggles, our expert guide to easing dry eyes

From a hot wand to night goggles, our expert guide to keeping a lid on dry eye syndrome… a condition that plagues so many (especially over-65s)

Dry, red, itchy and sore eyes affect up to a third of Britons over the age of 65
Ageing muscles in the eyelids stop tears from spreading across eye as we blink
Optometrists Vik Sharma and Charlotte Cook assess a selection of products…

Dry eye syndrome affects up to a third of Britons over the age of 65, causing sore, red, itchy, gritty eyes often accompanied by a burning sensation or blurred vision.

It is most common in women, and there are multiple causes, from taking certain medications — including some antihistamines and decongestants — to ageing.

‘As we age, the muscles that control our eyelids get weaker and are less efficient at spreading the tears across the front of our eyes when we blink,’ explains Vik Sharma, a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, and clinical director at The London Ophthalmology Centre.

Here, Mr Sharma and Charlotte Cook, an optometrist with the Bayfields Opticians chain, assess a selection of products for the condition. We then rated them…

Dry eye syndrome affects up to a third of Britons over the age of 65, causing sore, red, itchy, gritty eyes often accompanied by a burning sensation or blurred vision

LID MASSAGER

Eyepeace Plus eyelid massager with warming eye mask, £35, butterflies-eyecare.co.uk

CLAIM: After heating the mask in warm water and wearing it for ten minutes, you use the silicone massager to gently squeeze closed eyelids, working in a vertical motion. The maker says this ‘results in the treatment and prevention of dry eye’. Repeat this between five to ten times daily.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘This is said to help improve the secretions from the meibomian glands, which are oil glands in the eyelids,’ says Charlotte Cook. ‘Normally, when we blink, a bit of oil from this gland drops into the tear film (the thin layer of fluid covering the surface of the eye), which prevents the tears evaporating too quickly.

‘But as we age, this process can become less efficient, as the glands can become blocked, causing the oil to solidify.

Eyepeace Plus eyelid massager with warming eye mask, £35, butterflies-eyecare.co.uk

‘This mask can soften the hardened oil with heat and, in theory, massaging the eyelids can make the glands secrete oil better.

‘But gently massaging closed eyelids for about 30 seconds once a day with clean fingers would be just as good — and cheaper.

‘Once you have loosened the debris from the eye, remove it with soaked cotton wool.’ 7/10

MOISTURE GOGGLES

Eyeseals 4.0 with secure wrap, £43.50, butterflies-eyecare.co.uk

CLAIM: You wear these goggles at night, and the maker says they create a humid environment to soothe dry eyes, so you ‘awake with your eyes feeling bright, refreshed and hydrated’.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘In theory, these goggles would be effective as they create a moist environment to ease dry eyes,’ says Charlotte Cook. ‘At night we blink less, so our tear film reduces, but these compensate for this by keeping the eyes in a moist setting.

‘My concern would be whether they fitted correctly. To be effective, the seal around the eye must be tight so it remains humid inside.

‘I would try regular eye drops before turning to these, as they might prove slightly impractical to wear for long periods.’ 5/10

FISH-OIL PILLS

Intelligent Formula Vision Defender Omega, £17 for 60 capsules, amazon.co.uk

CLAIM: These gel capsules contain omega-3 fatty acids, which the maker says ‘have been shown to be beneficial in dry-feeling eyes’. Take two a day.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘There has been a lot of evidence in the past decade to suggest that omega-3 fats can help those with dry eye,’ says Mr Sharma.

‘The omega 3 improves the tear film by increasing the quality and amount of secretions from the oil glands.

‘But many of the studies done use doses far higher than I would usually advise for my patients. The NHS recommended daily allowance is 500mg and that’s what I suggest, too. A higher dose has caused tummy aches among some patients.

‘Two capsules provide 1,200mg of omega 3, approaching the levels used in the studies.’ 6/10

HEAT MASK

Optase Moist Heat Mask, £10.99, boots.com

CLAIM: This soft, reusable cotton eye mask is heated in the microwave for 25 seconds and then put over the eyes. It’s filled with silica beads which ‘loosen the oils in the meibomian glands, allowing the oil to flow more freely, and soften eyelash debris’, says the maker. Use it for ten minutes a day.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Using heat to melt the build-up of oils along the margins of the eyelids is an effective treatment for easing dry eye syndrome,’ says Mr Sharma.

‘I would expect this mask to do a good job. I tell my patients that five minutes of wearing a heat mask a day is usually sufficient to help clear blocked glands.’ 8/10

Optase Moist Heat Mask, £10.99, boots.com

EYE MIST

Vizulize Triple Action Dry Eyes Eye Mist, £7.69 for 10ml, amazon.co.uk

CLAIM: This offers the same relief as eye drops, but comes in the form of a spray misted over closed eyes. Its ingredients include sodium hyaluronate, a natural part of the tear film, which ‘moisturises and hydrates dry and irritated eyes’.

It also contains tiny balls of lipid, or fatty, compounds called liposomes, which ‘help to lock in natural moisture’.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘The theory is that when you spray the fine mist on closed eyes, some of it will work its way in and give dry eyes relief,’ says Mr Sharma.

‘It contains hyaluronate, which we use in surgery to lubricate the eye, so it is very safe.

‘The liposomes also help with this, and keep the tear film stable. When we have dry eyes, this tear film can become either broken or unstable.

‘Patients who struggle with dexterity issues might find this mist easier to use than drops, but drops would generally get more of the product where it needs to go.’ 6/10

NIGHTLY DROPS

Artelac Nighttime Gel, £5.69 for 10g, visiondirect.co.uk

CLAIM: This gel is said to ‘seal in moisture to provide extra protection for eyes with chronic tear dysfunction’. The maker recommends putting one drop in the eye 15 minutes before bed.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘To treat dry eye successfully you need a daily combination of daytime drops alongside a gel like this at night,’ says Charlotte Cook.

‘This gel contains carbomer gel to make it stick to the eye better and for longer, but it leaves your vision very smeary, so using it really should be the last thing you do before going to sleep.

‘I have recommended this, as well as other products that do the same job, to my patients.’ 8/10

HYDRATING WIPES

Dr Fischer Eye-Care Dry Hydrating Cleansing Wipes, £14.90 for 30 wipes, amazon.co.uk

CLAIM: These are said to keep your eyes ‘hydrated and healthy’. Use one wipe to clean around both eyes. They contain hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin B5, which help the skin retain moisture; chamomile, to reduce inflammation; and tea tree oil.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘You could use these wipes to remove the oily deposits and it would cause no harm, but they are much more effective if the oil has been loosened first with a warm compress,’ says Mr Sharma.

‘But they contain chemicals that will help with dry eye, too, such as hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin B5, which help lubricate eyes.

‘These wipes contain tea tree oil — this would not be harmful to the eye, and has antibacterial qualities which could help prevent blepharitis [inflammation along the edges of the eyelids, which causes irritation]. This can be due to a bacterial infection often linked to dry eye disease.

‘Applying diluted baby shampoo — which is very mild — with cotton wool can have the same effect and may work out cheaper.’ 7/10

WARMING WAND

Peep Club Heated Eye Wand, £60, peepclub.com

CLAIM: This rechargeable device, roughly the size of an electric toothbrush, is said to help your eyes ‘produce better-quality tears so they stay hydrated throughout the day’.

Apply a pea-sized amount of soothing balm (sold separately) around each eye and turn on the wand, which heats up to 42c. Then use it to massage the upper and lower eyelids ‘to promote circulation and unblock your meibomian glands’. The maker recommends using it every evening.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘In theory, a gentle heat of about 40c is a good way to loosen the natural oils that can build up and clog the glands on the eyelid,’ says Mr Sharma.

‘But after watching the maker’s video showing how to use this wand, I don’t think you can place it where it needs to be without poking yourself in the eye.

‘I wouldn’t recommend this to my patients. A far better option would be a warm compress applied over the closed eyelid for about five minutes.’ 1/10

JARGON BUSTER: Scientific terms decoded

This week: Monoclonal antibody

Monoclonal antibodies are molecules that are made in a laboratory and engineered to help the immune system. They are used to treat a number of diseases including cancer, as well as severe allergic asthma.

In cancer, the monoclonal antibodies (or mAbs) work by attaching onto antigens on the cancer cells — these are the substances that normally trigger the immune system to produce antibodies. The mAbs ‘flag’ the cancer cell to the immune system, so it can destroy it. These man-made molecules also help some symptoms of allergy — including severe asthma and nettle rash. Here they target molecules on the body’s IgE antibodies, which are involved in triggering a reaction; the mAbs dampen down their effect.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also authorised two existing monoclonal antibody drugs to treat mild Covid. This followed successful trials of the drug combination in treating 1,000 patients at risk of their condition worsening.

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