While most people experience dry eyes from time to time, chronic, severe dry eye syndrome may mean that your eyes need a little extra help. The eyes are meant to be lubricated at all times to protect them, and having constantly dry eyes can lead to redness, itching, inflammation and pain. Many dry eye sufferers find their symptoms are eased by using artificial tear drops. But for some patients these symptoms are not reasonably controlled, and a longer-lasting solution is necessary.
What Are The Causes Of Chronic Dry Eyes?
Your eyes may be dry for a number of reasons, including:
- Eyelid issues
- Medication side effects
- Conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Rosacea
- Decreasing hormone levels in menopause
Dry Eye Symptoms To Watch Out For
It can be difficult to know when to seek help for dry eyes, as often the symptoms build slowly over time. If you are experiencing the following symptoms on a daily basis, it may be time to talk to your Doctor, Integrative Medical Practitioner or Naturopath to discuss solutions:
- Feeling of sand or “something” in the eye
- Itchiness not eased by over the counter eye drops
- Redness and irritation of the eyelid
- Sensitivity to light that wasn’t there before
- Blurry vision that may be fixed by drops, but keeps returning
What Are Your Natural Tears Made Of?
The tears produced by our own tear ducts are not just wet. In fact, they’re a complex mixture of moisture, oils, mucus and antibodies designed to lubricate and protect the eyes on many levels. Over the counter artificial eye drops can help, but they simply can’t adequately replace our own natural tears.
What Are Serum Tears?
Autologous plasma eye drops, also known as Serum Tears, are a natural solution to help treat different eye conditions in a more effective, longer-lasting way than artificial eye drops can. Serum tears are made from parts the patient’s own blood, so they are readily accepted by the body and naturally made up of the right ingredients to help speed up healing and increase lubrication on the surface of the eye.
How Are Autologous Plasma Eye Drops Made?
At People’s Choice Compounding Pharmacy we prepare your autologous (ie “from your own tissues”) plasma eye drops in our sterile compounding department. Your blood is withdrawn by a nurse, and the plasma is extracted using a centrifuge. The plasma is then packaged at the right strength in small “droptainer” dropper bottles, which you can easily use to apply your drops to your eyes.
The drops contain no additives or preservatives, just your own plasma and sterile unpreserved sodium chloride (aka saline) as the diluents, if needed.
Serum Tears Are A Specialty Of Ours At People’s Choice Compounding Pharmacy, Richmond Hill
Where Can I get Serum tears?
You need a prescription to obtain autologous eye drops, this would usually be done by your medical doctor, integrative practitioner or naturopathic doctor based on a full assessment of your symptoms.
Some Doctors will draw your blood and send it away to a compounding pharmacy that is at a different location. However you also have the option to take your prescription in person to a reputable compounding pharmacy that has, experience, the correct equipment and safety standards in place, to have your blood drawn and your serum tears made while you wait. Choosing a local compounding pharmacy has the benefit of giving patients the added peace of mind of being on-site from start to finish.
How To Order Your Serum Tears Autologous Eye Drops
1. Book your appointment
Call us at 905-770-3113, to set up a time to come in and complete the paperwork, and have the nurse collect some of your blood.
2. Eye Drops Can Be Made On The Same Day
Following the collection of your blood, it will take us approximately 4 hours to make your eye drops, depending on how much blood was drawn. A maximum of 3 months’ supply can be dispensed at a time.
How To Store Autologous Eye Drops
1. Refrigerate Current Bottle
Keep one droptainer that you use in the fridge, and you can use it for 3 days. Any quantity left should be discarded.
2. Freeze All Other Bottles
The rest of the droptainers should be kept in the freezer at all times.
3. How To Defrost Serum Tears
On the third day, you will take droptainer that you are going to use next out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw for the next day.
How Do You Know If Serum Tears Are Working?
It should not take long for you to notice for yourself whether the Serum Tears are helping your symptoms, however it is important to keep up your regular check-ups. Your doctor will monitor your progress and will decide whether the treatment should be continued.
If your treatment is to be continued, you can notify us one week before you run out of the eye drops and book your next appointment at the compounding pharmacy to have blood drawn and eye drops made.
Possible Complications In The Making Of Autologous Eye Drops
Usually there are no issues. However, theoretically there may be a little chance why your blood cannot be used. If that is the case, you will be informed and appropriate further action will be discussed.
Possible side effects of Serum Tears
Because the eye drops are made from your own biological fluid without preservatives, side effects are minimal. There is a very small chance that a protein deposit could collect on the surface of the eye. This is very rare and can easily be resolved by stopping the treatment.
Also, make sure to follow the expiration on each droptainer and the storage instructions to prevent any contamination.
What if I Don’t Want To Use The Eye Drops?
Do not share your drops with anybody else, because they are made from your blood!
If you do find yourself with unused Serum Tears you can bring them to your doctor or compounding pharmacy to be properly disposed of.
If you have any questions please contact your doctor, or call People’s Choice Compounding Pharmacy in Richmond Hill at 905-770-3113
About People’s Choice Compounding Pharmacy
Serving Richmond Hill, Toronto, Markham & Vaughan
Free Ontario-Wide Shipping on all Bioidentical HRTLocated on Yonge Street in Toronto, People’s Choice Pharmacy is a state-of-the art, innovative, full service compounding pharmacy serving Toronto, Richmond Hill, Markham and Vaughan, and shipping across Ontario. Our certified technicians with 45 years of experience will custom compound your medications using top quality, lab tested ingredients. Call to speak to a friendly, knowledgeable Pharmacist today!
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