Serum Tears
WHAT ARE SERUM TEARS?
Serum tears are closer to your real tears than the artificial tears you get at the store. Since they are made from your own blood, they are also called “autologous”, which means that the product is made from the same person who is going to use the product. According to healthline.com, you are both the donor and the recipient.
What is the process of getting them?
First you will need 2 written prescriptions from your doctor–one for the hospital lab and one for the compounding pharmacy. You will take the 1st prescription to the hospital lab and have them draw your blood. After drawing your blood they will then spin the blood separating the serum from the solid components. The prescription that your doctor gives you will specify to the lab to give you your blood back on ice, that way you can keep it cold until you get to the compounding pharmacy. The pharmacy will then dilute the serum with a preservative free saline solution that is safe for the eyes. FYI–this is a whole day’s process!
How are they made?
Serum tears are made by the lab spinning your blood and separating it into serum, red blood cells, and white blood cell components. The serum component will then be refrigerated to take to the compounding pharmacy, where they will dilute it with a saline solution. The tears are to remain frozen until you use them and then you can leave them in the refrigerator.
How do they work (how do i use them)?
With the serum tears containing components similar to your own tears, they can help restore the surface of your eyes and help with chronic dryness. You can use them just as you would preservative free tears.
what are the benefits?
Improving dry eyes by supplementing endogenous components, or restoring the ocular surface. Autologous serum contains proteins (lysozyme, lactoferrin, albumin, and immunoglobulins), growth factors (epidermal growth factors), vitamins A and C, and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, magnesium, calcium). They also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties as well. Serum tears can help patients that have autoimmune diseases that can cause dry eyes such as Sjogren's, limbal stem-cell deficiency and more.
references
Autologous and Allogenic Serum tears. EyeWiki. (2022, December 7). https://eyewiki.aao.org/Autologous_and_Allogenic_Serum_Tears#:~:text=Because%20serum%20contains%20many%20components,proteins%2C%20enzymes%20and%20growth%20factors.
Bryn Mawr Communications. (2020, August). Autologous serum tears: An overlooked treatment for Dry Eye. Modern Optometry. https://modernod.com/articles/2020-july-aug/autologous-serum-tears-an-overlooked-treatment-for-dry-eye?c4src=article%3Ainfinite-scroll
Kristine Brennan, S. A. E. (2016, November 5). Thicker than water: Autologous serum. Review of Ophthalmology. https://www.reviewofophthalmology.com/article/thicker-than-water-autologous-serum
Pietrangelo, A. (2022, June 30). Autologous serum eye drops (ased) for Dry Eyes. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-dry-eye/autologous-serum-eye-drops-for-dry-eye