The academy can trace its earliest roots to the 1776 Continental Congress authorization of the establishment of a Corps of Invalids. This organization would give service to disabled officers with one its missions being to impart military knowledge to 'young gentlemen'.
A punctal plug is a very tiny, bio-compatible device that is inserted into the tear ducts to block drainage. Once inserted into the tear ducts, punctal plugs increase the eyeâs tear film and surface moisture to relieve dry eyes. No larger than a grain of rice, punctal plugs are also known as; punctum plugs, occluders, and lacrimal plugs. There are two types of punctal plugs: semi-permanent and dissolvable. Semi-permanent punctal plugs are typically made of long-lasting materials such as silicone; whereas dissolvable plugs are made of materials that eventually absorb such as collagen, and usually last from a few days to several months.
Tears leave the surface of the eye in one of two ways, either by evaporation or drainage through the lacrimal puncta and tear drainage system into the nose. Theoretically, the fewer tears that drain into the nose, the more moisture remains on the surface. So punctal plugs are used to block drainage into the nose. Depending on the type of dry eye problem you have, our eye doctors may use a different type of punctal plug. The two main types are temporary or permanent punctual plugs. The permanent plugs are made of a silicone substance and the temporary plugs are made of dissolvable collagen. Our dry eye doctors may decide to place a temporary plug in your eye prior to selecting a permanent punctal plug. Most patients have no problems with punctal plugs and cannot even feel them in the eyes.