Dry Eyes

Ocular Surface Disease

Dry eye disease, or ocular surface disease is a very common problem. The tear film, on the surface of the eye, is made up of both a liquid (tear) and lipid (oil) layer. Dysfunction in either of these can result in symptoms of dry eyes.

Aqueous Deficiency

When a patient doesn’t have many tears, they have aqueous deficiency.   Symptoms can include redness, irritation, a foreign body sensation, pain, or even tearing. Some patients complain of vision that fluctuates.  They may say that when they blink, the vision goes back to normal. Severe dry eyes can even lead to scarring and infections of the cornea, the clear, front part of the eye.  There are many treatments for dry eye, including over the counter drops, prescription drops, or placing plugs in the puncta.

Meibomium Gland Dysfunction

Blepharitis is a dysfunction of the oil portion of the tear film. It’s sometimes referred to as meibomium gland dysfunction.  The oil layer of the tear film helps prevent evaporation of the tears. The meibomium glands can become blocked with thickened secretions that can cause an unhealthy balance between the tears and the oils in the tear film.  Many of the symptoms will be the same as with tear deficiency.  Other signs can be redness of the eyelid margin, and styes.  Blepharitis can occur along with other disorders like rosacea. There are many treatments including warm compresses, lid scrubs, low dose antibiotics, and IPL, a light-based treatment.

Our team is highly knowledgeable about various conditions of the eye. For more information on eye and sight health, we invite you to learn more from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.