ADVERTORIAL

You might have dry eye.

What is dry eye?

An estimated 25 million people in the USA are affected by dry eye. Worldwide the prevalence rate closely parallels this figure ¹. It is one of the most common reasons for people to visit their eye care professional. Dry eye can affect anyone, but it becomes more common as we get older ².

The surface of the eye needs plenty of moisture to work properly, and normally it becomes lubricated by tears every time we blink. If the eye cannot produce enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly – then the surface of the eye, and the delicate cells beneath it, may dry out.

Symptoms of dry eye may include:

• Itching
• Burning
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision
• Dryness
• Foreign body sensation [the feeling that there’s something in your eye]
• Excessive tearing

 These symptoms can be aggravated by a number of external factors such as:

• Hot, dry or windy environments
• High altitudes
• Heating
• Air-conditioning
• Smoke

 Many people also experience dry eye when:

• Reading
• Working on a computer
• Wearing contact lenses
• Taking certain medication (i.e. for thyroid condition, vitamin A deficiency, depression or menopause)

 Chronic dry eye

Chronic dry eye occurs when eyes do not produce the right quantity or quality of tears. Women are more susceptible than men as they are affected by hormonal changes due to ageing and menopause or some other medical condition, e.g. Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, rosacea, sarcoidosis and Sjögren’s syndrome.

Symptoms of chronic dry eye can vary greatly from person to person and it could fluctuate during the course of the day in that it becomes worse as the day wears on.

Chronic dry eye can be a progressive disease that, if left untreated, can lead to increased risk of infection or further vision problems.

 Treatment formulas for dry eye could:

• range between liquid eye drops to ointments
• have preservatives or could be preservative-free
• vary in their frequency of application and dosage amount

 OPTIVE™ eye drops:

• penetrate deep into the surface of the eye
• have a unique formulation that delivers lubrication onto the surface of the eye and acts to improve overall ocular surface health through a process known as osmoprotection
• are often dosed less frequently than other dry eye treatments  
• are suitable for a range of dry eye causes and conditions

OPTIVE™ eye drops are special:

OPTIVE™ gives you relief upon installation, long-lasting relief, improved comfort and protection from corneal damage.

The OPTIVE™ difference:

Get deep, long-lasting relief 3,5

OPTIVE™ delivers longer lasting relief compared to other dry eye treatments which means you may not need to use as many drops as with other products.

OPTIVE™ does not usually cause the blurring of vision that you may get with other treatments.

People who use artificial tears several times a day or on a regular basis should see their eye care professional – left untreated, episodic dry eye could progress into a chronic condition.

Find out more – go to www.optive.co.za

 References:

1. Dry Eye Syndrome Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and medication. Emedicinehealth.com. [online] [cited 2012 Jun 15]. Available from: URL: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/dry_eye_syndrome/article_em.htm. 2. Kaercher T, Buchholz P, Kimmich F. Treatment of patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca with Optive™: results of a multicenter, open-label observational study in Germany. Clin Ophthalmol 2009;3:33-39. 3. OPTIVE™ /OPTIVE PLUS™ Efficacy Measures. Data on file, Allergan. 4. Data on file, Allergan, Inc. CSR 9965-002. 5. Rajpal RK et al. OPTIVE™ for the Treatment of Dry Eye in Patients Previously Using Systane^®. Presented at 5^th International Conference on the Tear Film and Ocular Surface. Sept 5-8, 2007; Taormina, Italy.

 © Allergan 2012. All rights reserved. The characters are a trademark of Allergan. OPTIVE™ Lubricant Eye Drops. Contains carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/ml and glycerine 9 mg/ml. Reference numbers: 420519 and 135336. OPTIVE PLUS™ Eye Drops. Contains carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/ml, glycerine 10 mg/ml, castor oil 2,5 mg/ml and polysorbate 80 5 mg/ml. CE (EU) number:0459. For full prescribing information refer to the package insert. Allergan Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 6024, Halfway House, 1685, South Africa (Co. Reg. no. 1984/05576/07) Telephone: +27 (0) 11 545 6600, Facsimile: +27 (0) 11 315 6008. www.allergan.co.za. ™ Trademark of Allergan, Inc. ZA/0106/2012m.