Dry Eye Syndrome affects millions of people worldwide.  While many people associate the thought of dry eyes with various symptoms of ocular discomfort such as dryness, grittiness or burning, most people do not realize that in order to have normal vision, it is critical to have a sufficient quantity of healthy tears on the surface of the eye at all times.  Dry eye is an eye condition in which there is a deficiency of the tear film due to either an insufficient production of one’s own natural tears or an excessive evaporation of tears.

Insufficient Tear Production

There are a number of factors that can cause you to produce an insufficient quantity of tears.  Certain systemic conditions such as Sjogrens’s Syndrome or autoimmune connective tissue diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus Erythematosis may decrease the quantity of tears that you produce.   Any disease or inflammation of the tear gland, called the lacrimal gland, will cause patients to produce too few tears to maintain a normal and healthy tear film.   

Excessive Evaporation of Tears

There are a number of factors that can cause your tears to evaporate too quickly.  This can include environmental factors such as being exposed to forced hot air heat, dry climates in general, air travel, reduced blinking from contact lens wear or looking at a computer screen for long periods of time.

Your tears may evaporate too quickly if you suffer from low-grade eyelid inflammation.  Within your eyelids are tiny glands called meibomian glands.  Any inflammation of the eyelids such as from blepharitis or ocular rosacea can cause the meibomian glands to stop secreting their oily film.  This oily film is required as an outer layer of the tear film to prevent evaporation.  Without it, you will almost certainly experience quick evaporation of tears and dry eyes.  

Dry Eye Diagnosis and Treatment

During a dry eye examination and consultation, Drs. Kessler and Howard are able to evaluate your tear production by using a specialized microscopic technique to observe the height of the tear film in addition to using a clinical test called a Schirmer Test that allows them to actually measure the rate at which you produce natural tears.  They will also use specially formulated eye drops that contain dyes to help investigate the functioning of the various layers of the tear film.   

The specific treatment options that Drs. Kessler and Howard may prescribe will really depend on the likely cause and the severity of your dry eyes.  For those patients with mild to moderate dry eyes the first course of treatment may be artificial tears.  Depending on the nature of your tear film deficiency, the doctor may have you use a specific type of artificial tear that has different characteristics in terms of salt content and viscosity.   

If these approaches do not work, then Drs. Kessler and Howard might suggest the use of a prescription eye drop called Restasis or Xiidra, or the insertion of tiny punctal plugs that will slow down the drainage of tears from the eye.  If your physician decides that you need punctual plugs, these plugs are easily and comfortably placed in the lacrimal puncta in the eyelids.  This procedure is painless and it only takes a few minutes.

With careful diagnosis and a systematic therapeutic approach, sufferers of dry eye syndrome can most often experience considerable improvement.  The physicians and staff of Litchfield Hills Eye Physicians will use every necessary diagnostic procedure to help identify the source of your dry eyes and offer you the best possible solution.