Dry Eye Assessment

With the increased usage of digital devices in both adults and children today, dry eye conditions are becoming more common. The symptoms of dry eyes are:

• A stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes.
• Stringy mucus in or around your eyes.
• Sensitivity to light.
• Eye redness.
• A sensation of having something in your eyes.
• Difficulty wearing contact lenses.
• Difficulty with nighttime driving.

Dry eye disease occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough tears or the tears produced are not high enough in quality to create a nourishing, lubricating tear film over the front of the eye to protect it.

The condition is progressive and often gets worse as you age. It has a myriad of causes including age, gender, medications, medical conditions and environmental factors.

Optometrists use dyes that help assess the integrity of the ocular surface and diagnose dry eyes. Epithelial damage due to this condition is most commonly measured by applying either fluorescein or rose bengal.