Dry Eye Center

Diagnosis and Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome

The Doctors at Solinsky EyeCare are applying recent advances in diagnostic
technology to diagnose the primary causes of dry eye syndrome (DES), in order to
optimize treatment of this condition.

Dry eye is a very common disorder. Symptoms include blurred vision,
scratchiness, irritation, redness or tiredness of the eyes. Traditionally, DES has been
thought of as a deficiency of tears at the ocular surface. In recent years, however,
investigations have shown that DES is much more complex than previously thought,
and that “tear film dysfunction syndrome” might more accurately describe the condition.

Tear film dysfunction can be broken down into two basic etiologic classifications:
insufficient tear production or increased evaporation of tears from the eye surface.
The tear film is made up of lipid, aqueous and mucin components.

Individuals with dry eye syndrome can be deficient in any of these basic factors.

• Lipid tear deficiency is most commonly caused by blepharitis or Meibomian
  gland dysfunction. This leads to abnormally increased evaporation of the tears
  from the surface of the eye.
• Mucin deficiency can be caused by conditions such as vitamin A deficiency,
  chemically injury, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Produced by goblet cells,
  mucin promotes even distribution of the aqueous tears over the surface of the eye.
• Aqueous tear deficiency is associated with insufficient tear production. It can
  be caused by contact lens wear, increasing age, hormonal changes, medications, Sjogren’s syndrome and other autoimmune diseases.

Diagnosis

Because DES is often misdiagnosed, accurate assessment of the underlying causes
of a patient’s ocular surface disease is critical. Misdiagnosis and the resulting delay in
appropriate treatment can permit the continuation of destructive disease processes and can lead to eventual permanent scarring of the ocular surface. In addition, patients are often inadequately treated and may needlessly suffer with a decreased quality of life.

Treatment Options

Management of the tear film dysfunction and ocular surface disease at Solinsky
EyeCare has the objective of promoting the health of the ocular surface and is tailored to the individual patient. Lifestyle changes, artificial tears and topical eye ointments may
help patients with mild DES. Patients with moderate to severe DES may benefit
from medical treatment with immunomodulators or anti-inflammatory agents.

Our Team of Doctors

Tear film dysfunction and other ocular diseases are treated at Solinsky EyeCare by
specially trained Doctors who have a particular interest in caring for patients with dry eye and other types of ocular surface disease.