Dry Eye Clinic

Types of dry eye.

• Decreased tear production (Aqueous-deficiency dry eye).

• Evaporation of tears (Evaporative dry eye).

• Mixed: Combination of Aqueous-deficiency dry eye and Evaporative dry eye.

Other contributory factors of dry eye:

• Decreased blink rate.

• Incomplete blink.

• Inability to close eye fully (Lagophthalmos).

• Medications.

• Contact lens wear.

• Environment: High wind speed, Low humidity, High temperature.

Common symptoms of dry eyes may include:

• Gritty/scratchy or foreign body sensation, burning sensation, sore eye

• Red eye appearance

• Itchy eye

• Sensitivity to light

• Fluctuation in vision; blurry vision

• Eyes feel tired.

• Difficulty wearing contact lenses.

• Difficulty with night-time driving.

• Reflex watery eye

• Mucus discharge from the eye.

Diagnosis and Management of Dry Eye.

Your eye care specialist will perform a comprehensive eye assessment:

(i) to exclude any other ocular disorder that may mimic dry eye disease, and

(ii) to diagnose the type of dry eye and assess its severity.

The evaluation may also include non-invasive analysis of your tear quality (tear osmolarity test and tear film analysis) and meibography (assessment of eyelid oil glands). Depending on the type of dry eye that you may have, your eye care specialist will recommend the appropriate treatment for you. The management of dry eyes may include artificial tears, medicated eye drops, eyelid scrubs to maintain eyelid hygiene, eyelid heat compresses, oral Omega-3 supplementation, lifestyle adjustments (such as decrease screen time on digital devices), punctal plug, or intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment.