Lasik dry eye is one of the most common sides effects of Lasik eye surgery. The good news is that Lasik dry eye typically goes away without medical intervention, but you can also use certain eye drops and other solutions to help minimize dry eyes after your Lasik surgery.

What is Lasik dry eye?
When you have Lasik eye surgery, the typical recovery period is approximately six months. Many people are fully functional within a few days, although they may experience surgery-related side effects for up to the entire healing period. Lasik dry eye is one of the most common side effects.

With Lasik-induced dry eyes, you may suffer from a number of different symptoms. In some cases, your nerves send the sensation of dry eyes when your eyes are, in fact, moist. In other cases, you may feel that your eyes are normal, when in fact they’re dry. You may also experience an interruption in tear production, or a change in the quality of your tears, that could cause dry eyes. Fortunately, Lasik dry eye typically clears up on its own during the recovery period. If you’re experiencing extreme symptoms, you can treat the dry eyes in several ways.

Drink plenty of water and avoid dry environments.
Dehydration affects all of your body’s systems, including your tear production. If you aren’t drinking enough water, you may suffer dry eyes, especially in conjunction with a Lasik eye surgery. In some cases, drinking more water is all you need to do.

Consider your environment. If you’re spending a lot of time indoors during the winter and the heat dries out your apartment, it might also be drying out your eyes. Use a humidifier if your home is excessively dry and you’re experiencing problems with Lasik and dry eyes.

Use artificial tears and lubricating gels to avoid Lasik dry eye.
If you’ve narrowed down the environmental causes and upped your water intake, you may want to take the next step of using artificial tears and lubricating gels to treat your dry eye symptoms. You’ll want to avoid eye drops that are full of preservatives, as they can actually further dry out your eyes.

Instead, look for artificial tears that come in small vials. The best tears are typically more expensive, because they include all of the components that make tears effective; they aren’t just saline solution. Lubricating gels are useful at night, when you’re not blinking and your eyes can become irritated due to dry eye symptoms. These gels are typically thicker and last longer than artificial tears.

Consult a doctor if you’re unable to treat your dry eye symptoms.
Problems with tear drainage, conflicts caused by other medicines and other medical conditions can also cause dry eyes. If you are unable to treat your dry eye symptoms or if they continue past the six-month healing period, consult your doctor. You may need medical intervention to successfully treat your dry eyes.