Treatment for dry eye depends on its causes and severity so it is very important to be examined by an eye doctor trained to diagnose and treat this condition. Both the quantity and quality of tears need to be taken into account when diagnosing dry eye.
Dry Eye can be confused with, and is often accompanied by, ocular allergies
The Dry Eye exam typically includes:
- Patient History – to determine your symptoms, underlying health problems and environmental conditions that may be causing or aggravating your dry eye symptoms. This often includes a standardized Dry Eye Questionnaire like the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI)
- An external examination of the eye consisting of an evaluation of the eyelids, conjunctiva and cornea as well as a diagnostic expression of the meibomian glands of the lower eyelid.
- External eye photography and/or meibomagraphy (high contrast photography of the meibomian glands)
- Measurements of the quantity and quality of your tears – This may include a number of different tests including:
- Tear volume measurement (Schirmer Test)
- Evaluation of surface “staining” of the cornea with fluorescein
- Evaluation of surface “staining” of the conjunctiva with lissamine green
- Evaluation of the oil or lipid layer of the tears
- Tear Film Break-Up Time (TBUT)
- Tear Film Osmolarity Test (Salt Concentration of tears) with Tear Lab®.
- MMP-9 (Inflammadry®) Test
- Sjögren’s Syndrome Testing (Sjo® finger stick or blood samples)
- Evaluation of the eyes and surrounding tissues for signs of conditions other than dry eye that may be complicating the picture such as allergy, infection, skin conditions, etc.
Other conditions can accompany or be mistaken for Dry Eye including ocular allergies, Floppy Eyelid Syndrome (loose eye lids associated with obstructive sleep apnea) and conjunctivochalasis which refers to redundant, loose conjunctiva (surface tissue of the eye) that disturbs normal tear spreading and drainage.
Click here to download the dry eye questionnaire »