Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs are made of silicone, and they are used to plug the tiny tear duct holes located on the inside corner of your eyes. They are used to treat excessive tearing in dry eye patients, allergic conjunctivitis, or other eye conditions which cause watery eyes.

How Do Punctal Plugs Work?

The puncta (singular: punctum) are tiny openings at the inner corners of your upper and lower eyelids. These openings connect to eye ducts that drain tears into your nose. Tears keep your eyes moist, which prevents them from drying out. But if you have dry eyes syndrome, too many tears can drain away before they have a chance to do their job, causing red eyes.

Punctal plugs reduce tear drainage by blocking or plugging the puncta. This allows more moisture to remain on your eyes. Punctal plugs can be made from collagen, silicone, or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Your doctor will choose what’s best for you based on factors such as your level of dry eye and how long you need to treat it.

Types of Punctal Plugs

There are several types of punctal plugs:

Temporary Plugs

These usually last only a few days or weeks and are made of collagen, a fibrous protein found in skin and bone. The body absorbs them over time, so they don’t need to be removed. They are often used to see how much a person would benefit from long-term punctal plug treatment.

Dissolvable Plugs

These may be made of collagen or another material that absorbs over time (usually about three months). They don’t need to be removed once they’ve dissolved.

Permanent Plugs

These are made from silicone or hydroxyapatite (HA), which is biocompatible with the human body and doesn’t dissolve over time as collagen does. These can be removed if necessary; however, removal may not be easy, especially if you have many plugs in place. HA plugs tend to shrink over time and may have to be replaced periodically because they move out of place or fall out.

How Are Punctal Plugs Inserted?

Punctal plugs are inserted by an eye doctor via a non-invasive procedure. It is a quick, painless procedure in which the doctor numbs your eye with anesthetic eye drops, then uses a very small instrument to place the plug into the punctum.

The plug may fall out on its own in about 10 to 20 percent of patients, so your doctor will likely check for them at follow-up visits. The plugs can also be removed if you have problems or change your mind about using them.

Punctal Plugs are a fantastic way to keep your eyes healthy and clean, but they have the added benefit of slowing down the rate at which eye goop accumulates. If you’re interested, you should definitely give them a try.