Dry Eye

Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome is a very common condition which, as its name implies, causes a decrease in the tear film of the eye.  It can be mild, causing intermittent blurring, foreign body sensation or reflexive tearing or it can be severe with significant damage to the eye.

Above is shown the tearing mechanism as well as the tear layers.

Here is a cornea stained with a special dye which shows the areas damaged by dry eye in the center.  These areas appear as speckled green when illuminated with blue light.

The tear film requires all three layers to be functional (oil, water and mucus).  Deficiency of any of the three layers can lead to dry eye syndrome.