With today's dependence on digital screens, dry eye is more-common than ever.

Dry eye is a condition in which a person doesn't have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision. Dry eye is a common and often chronic problem, particularly in older adults.

With each blink of the eyelids, tears spread across the front surface of the eye, known as the cornea. Tears provide lubrication, reduce the risk of eye infection, wash away foreign matter in the eye and keep the surface of the eyes smooth and clear. Excess tears in the eyes flow into small drainage ducts in the inner corners of the eyelids, which drain into the back of the nose. Dry eyes can occur when tear production and drainage is not in balance.

Symptoms of dry eyes:

1.

Stinging, burning, or irritated eyes
2.

The feeling that something is in the eye
3.

Interimttently watery eyes
4.

Blurry vision in between blinks
5.

Difficulty driving at night
6.

Inability to wear contact lenses comfortably

Types of Dry Eye

Hormone Related

Common Blepharitis

Demodex Mites

Evaporative

Oil Gland Dysfunction

Inflammatory

Medication Induced

Disease Related

Contact Lens Related

Steps involved in a special dry eye evaluation:

Anterior segment exam to assess redness, corneal integrity, meibomian gland health, and tear quality.
Medication analysis to uncover medicines that cause dry eyes.
Traditional corneal staining and TBUT (tear break up time)
Schirmer's tear testing to measure eye moisture
Tear film analysis using a computerized measuring device.
Meibography to photograph and measure the amount of moisture glands you have left.

After this thorough evaluation, we will be in a position to determine the type of dry eye that you have as well as the specific treatment protocol that will help you the most.