Are you a Sjogren's patient struggling with dry eyes?
If so, this post is for you!
Today we are going to be reviewing all sorts of products that can help with the dreaded dry eyes that come along with the autoimmune disease Sjogren's.
What's up with Sjogren's and Dry Eyes?
If you are a new Sjogren's patient or want to learn more about dry eyes you can check out the Dry Eyes: A Hallmark Sjogren's Symptom post. This post goes through the mechanics of the eyes, how they work, what keeps the eyes moist, and why Sjogren's patients have dry eyes.
Save this article to Pintrest:
What Products Work Best?
Today we will be looking at all sorts of products including eye drops, eye gels and eye ointments, hot and cold therapy for eyes, lid wipes, and more.
Are you wondering how we put together such an awesome list?
Well, for starters Heather is a long time Sjogren's patient and has been working with various different product and her experiences have helped to build this list.
These products are recommended both from our PhoenixSoulWarrior advocate Heather, and from other Sjogren's patients.
We get to connect with hundreds of Sjogren's patients in our online support group, which is great because it allows us to recommend a whole lot more products that work for patients just like you.
You'll notice that all the recommendations below are linked back to Amazon. We find Amazon to be a great source of products for individuals with chronic illness.
We don't always have the energy to make it to the store, and it's frustrating when we finally make it to a store and they don't have the products we need.
Amazon wins in this departments because the products are almost always available, and they can be delivered right to your doorstep, a definite win for the mobility impaired.
We are amazon affiliates, which means when you purchase a product through our recommended product link below, we get a small commission - at no extra cost to you.
This small commission goes right back to supporting our website and blog, which is dedicated to helping chronic illness patients like you. Thank you for your support!
Dry Eye Products for Sjogren's Patients:
Eye Drops:
Before we get into our recommended eye drops, we want to point out that it is essential that Sjogren's patients use eye drops that are preservative free.
Why?
Well, the preservatives used in eye drops can alter one of the protective layers of the eye surface, which can lead to more damage, and dryer eyes. That's the last thing you need!
Hylo Drops are a crowd favorite.
These drops are made without preservatives (which is essential for Sjogren's patients).
Hylo has many products to help battle dry eyes. This drop is great for every day daytime use.
You can purchase them on Amazon here.
Hylo Gel Drops are a great add on.
This product is slightly thicker which typically allows a patient to use the drops less.
Many people use the regular drops during the day, and these gel drops at night time.
You can purchase these drops on Amazon here.
These eye drops are a great eye drop, reasonably priced, and available in a bottle (as opposed to individual vials).
You can purchase these drops on Amazon here.
This twin pack has Preservative free bottles in both a day time and night time use. A great product if you suffer from dry eyes both day and night.
You can purchase these drops on Amazon here.
Eye Lid Care Cleaning and Wipes:
This foaming cleanser uses 100% all natural ingredients including tea tree oil to attack bacteria and demodex mites to combat red, itchy, irritated eyelid symptoms. Our foaming cleanser will soothe your symptoms by gently washing away dirt, allergens, and makeup residue.
You can order these eyelid cleansing wipes on Amazon here.
These eye lid wipes are a great product to use to clean the eye lids of
debris and bacteria that cause inflammation and blepharitis.
You can order these eyelid cleansing wipes on Amazon here.
Lubricating Eye Ointment:
This lubricating gel is best used before bed. Integrate it into your night time routine after using your lip wipes and heated mask. Locks the moisture in overnight.
You can purchase this gel/ointment on Amazon here.
Heated Eye Masks:
The Bruder eye mask is the top mask that optometrists recommend.
This mask works by warming it up in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and then resting it on the eyes for 5-10 minutes, which kickstarts the meibomian glands to start producing the oil layer on the eye lid.
You can purchase this mask on Amazon here.
This eye mask has many features including eye massager with heat, compression, wireless music rechargeable eye therapy massager.
The Sjogren's patient that recommended this stated that she loves it because she can reach over to her bedside table, place the mask on, and turn it on all without leaving the bed.
You can purchase this mask on Amazon here.
This eye mask uses heat to warm up the meibomian glands. A useful heated mask to help Sjogren's patients who suffer from dry eyes.
You can purchase this mask on Amazon here.
Cold Therapy Eye Masks:
This eye mask is versatile as it can be used for both heat and cold therapy on the eyes.
We recommend keeping a pair of these in the freezer and pulling them out to use any time you feel the inflammation starting to flare up.
You can purchase this mask on Amazon here.
Fish Oil Supplements:
Omega-3 oils have been shows to drastically improve eye dryness. Be sure to add this into your morning routine and be consistent to see results.
You can purchase this oil on Amazon here.
Omega-3 oils have been shows to drastically improve eye dryness.
This product has no flavor, if you do not like the previous suggestion which was lemon flavor.
You can purchase this oil on Amazon here.
Glasses That Help Dry Eyes:
These glasses help individuals who have screen use. These glasses block blue light waves from entering you eyes. This can help to reduce eye strain and dry eyes.
You can purchase these blue light glasses on Amazon here.
Other Dry Eye Products:
These steam eye masks will rehydrate your eyes by diffusing a heat of about 40 C for 30 minutes. Comfortable steam wraps your eyes warmly and relaxes you.
You can purchase these steam eye masks on Amazon here.
Save this article to Pintrest:
Conclusion:
Sjogren's patients are at high risk for dry eye and dry eye diseases like scratched corneas and blepharitis.
It's imperative that Sjogren's patients have a robust eye care routine to help prevent damage to the eyes due to damaged glands from Sjogren's.
I know that is a fairly large list, but we recommend having a look over it and seeing which products you can integrate into your routine.
Can't afford everything on the list? Don't worry, I couldn't afford it all right now either. We recommend picking one product a paycheck, or one product a month to add into your self care eye routine.
Want to see more blog posts like this one? Be sure to let us know by emailing PhoenixSoulWarrior@gmail.com
If you want to make sure you get notified on new blog posts, be sure to sign up for the Newsletter below.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Heather & Marc