Serum Tears FAQ

Chronic dry eyes are more than just a nuisance. This disease can impose serious limitations on a person and significantly reduce quality of life. So what do you do when those red, dry-eyes won’t stop giving you the blues? Your typical over-the-counter medications can only help so much before it’s time to upgrade to a more effective treatment. 

If you suffer from dry eye disease, you’re going to need something more potent than a bottle of artificial tears from the corner store. This is where your own biology steps in to save the day.  There’s a solution for dry eye disease called serum tears, and it comes from your own blood! Recent research proves that serum tears can be used as an effective treatment for dry eye disease, as well as a range of other eye-related ailments. 

What are Serum Tears? 

Serum tears are a solution made from a patients’ blood serum. Serum is the clear solution in the blood that is leftover after most of the proteins and cells have been removed. Blood serum is then combined with a sterile, preservative-free solution to create a tear-like substitute that biologically matches the patient. 

The production of serum tears is a two-fold process. Patients have their blood drawn at a lab that will then process the blood sample and send it to a sterile compounding facility. Serum tears can only be made in a sterile compounding pharmacy, such as the state-of-the-art compounding facility at the People’s Choice Pharmacy in Ontario.  

Who Needs Serum Tears? 

Anyone suffering daily from the discomfort of dry, red, and itchy eyes! Why live with the pain and frustration of chronic dry eyes when there is a ready-made solution, developed from your own chemistry? 

Serum tears are used to treat dry eye disease and help to heal the ocular surface. Those suffering from Sjögren’s syndrome will find serum tears to be especially beneficial, as well as patients who are suffering from ocular surface burns or Filamentary Keratitis. 

What is Dry Eye Disease?

Dry eyes are fairly common and can usually be treated with over the counter eye drops. However, those suffering from chronic dry eye disease will need to use serum tears to lubricate dry eyes. Dry eye disease is different from normal dry eyes caused by allergies. 

Dry eye disease is a condition in which your tears don’t sufficiently lubricate your eyes because your body is not producing quality tears, or enough of them. This condition tends to worsen over time, which is why it’s important to promptly utilize a serum tears treatment to prevent further complications from dry eyes, such as ocular damage. 

Common Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease: 

-eye redness

-a constant feeling of irritation in the eyes

-a stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in the eyes 

-sensitivity to light 

-mucus in or around the eyes 

Can Dry Eyes Cause Worse Issues?

Dry eyes can lead to an increased risk of eye infection and cause damage to the surface of the eyes. Tears protect the eyes from infection and keep them from being damaged. Aside from a general decrease in quality of life, untreated dry eyes can cause some serious problems. Without enough tears, the eyes can become inflamed, infected or severely damaged if dry eyes are left untreated. 

Potential Complications From Untreated Dry Eyes:

-corneal ulcer

-abrasion of the corneal surface 

-impaired vision

-inability to use contact lenses 

-impaired driving at night 

Can Serum Tears Help Watery Eyes? 

Strangely, severe dry eyes can lead to watery eyes. When the eyes are dry they become irritated and scratchy, which can prompt the lacrimal glands to overproduce tears and flood the drainage system of the eyes. “Watery eyes from dry eye syndrome” is more common in older adults, as dry eye syndrome can be caused by various medications and simply tends to happen with age. 

What is Sjögren’s Syndrome?

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva. The common symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth.

Dry eyes due to Sjögren’s syndrome is a serious condition and should be treated promptly before leading to severe complications, such as permanent ocular damage. 

Can Serum Tears Help Filamentary Keratitis? 

Filamentary Keratitis is a recurring corneal condition caused by dry eye syndrome in which the outer layer of the corneal cells die and form filaments on the surface of the cornea. This can lead to severe pain and an itchy, gritty sensation in the eyes. 

According to a study by the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, serum tears have been used to successfully manage the uncomfortable and often very painful symptoms of Filamentary Keratitis in just one week, when applied four times daily. 

How Do You Use Serum Tears?

As with any kind of medication, it is important to consult with your physician and use serum tears as prescribed. In general, serum tears can be used every few hours as needed to treat discomfort from dry eyes. 

Serum tears droplets should be applied directly to the eye, as often as prescribed by your physician. The best way to prevent contamination is to avoid direct contact between the dropper and the eye. 

Consult with your eye doctor or pharmacist to determine how many times per day to apply serum tears. 

Should Serum Tears Be Refrigerated?

Serum tears typically come in a batch of small vials that are meant to stay frozen, except for the vial currently in use which should be kept refrigerated. Serum tears should always be kept frozen or refrigerated, and used by the expiration date. A defrosted, opened bottle of serum tears should typically be used within 48 hours. 

Where Can I Buy Serum Tears ?

People’s Choice Pharmacy in Richmond Hill is one of the most experienced compounding pharmacies in Ontario, and we specialize in Serum Tears. We will work with your eye doctor to provide the right medication for your needs, produced on-site, while you wait, in our state-of-the-art compounding facility. 

Don’t live with the pain and discomfort of dry eye disease one more day, the solution is at your fingertips. Call People’s Choice Pharmacy to discuss how Serum Tears can help soothe your dry eyes today.