Q: I am 30 years old and experiencing pain in the eyes from the past 6 months. Earlier, I have used contacts lenses for a month but discontinued because I did not find them comfortable. I am now experiencing dry eyes and it is very problamatic to use the artificial tears. Kindly suggest some other treatment for permanent relief from dry eyes. I have been seeing 3 to 4 red lines in both the eyes from the past 2 months, which is quite painful. Will this affect my vision. Do I need medication?

A:The headaches that you are getting may be due to migraine, which can be familial and needs treatment accordingly. It can also give you visual problems as aura before migraine. Dry eye is a different problem alltogether and can be linked to use of computer as it generates heat, which will cause more dryness but also due to eye strain due to close work. When you concentrate you don't blink frequently enough to spread the tear film on the eye surface evenly. In addition, contraceptive pills, if you take, can add to dry eye problems. At your age if you avoid these causes of dry eyes, you will become comfortable without artificial tear drops. There is only one permanent treatment for dry eyes is to occlude the puncti (a hole on the eye lid margins through, which tear drains away from the eyes to the nose through naso lacrimal duct.) but this treatment is not only unsatisfactory or unsuccessful in most cases but you may end up with watery eyes, which can be more troublesome. I will advise you to see a local eye specialist.