Dry eye disease: A review of anti-inflammatory therapies

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common chronic ocular disease. DED can have a significant impact on visual function, causing disturbances to comfort, daily activities, and general quality of life. The varied nature of DED makes it difficult to point to a specific cause of the syndrome. However, current literature agrees that the inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva plays a major role in its pathogenesis. Therapies targeted toward inflammation have shown varied success in the treatment of DED. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the prevalence and inflammatory pathophysiology of DED and discussion of the available anti-inflammatory therapies including the following: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and other hormonal therapies, nonsteroidal immunomodulators, biological tear replacement, antibiotics, dietary supplements, tea tree oil, and intense pulsed light.