Dry Eye Clinic

Dry Eye Clinic

Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) affects more than 23 million Americans and is a common and often chronic problem, particularly in adults.  Dry Eye is a condition in which there are insufficient secretions of the tear film by evaporation, thus there is not enough tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Healthy tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye, without this healthy tear film this may cause decreased sensation of the cornea (the transparent membrane covering the iris and the pupil) or damage to the tear glands (Meibomian Gland Dysfunction) and could possibly affect clear vision.

People with Dry Eyes may experience symptoms of irritated, gritty, scratchy or burning eyes, a feeling of something in their eyes, excess watering, and blurred vision.  Having advanced dry eyes may damage the front surface of the eye and impair your vision. Dry eyes can be diagnosed through comprehensive eye examination.  This shall include Special Testing with special emphasis on the evaluation of the quantity and quality of tears produced by the eyes, an external examination of the eye and evaluation of the eyelids and the Meibomian Gland function.  Using the information obtained from Special Testing, your Doctor can determine if you have dry eye syndrome and advise you on all treatment options. Treatments for dry eyes aim to restore or maintain the normal amount of tears in the eye to minimize dryness and related discomfort and to maintain eye health.

Early diagnosis is very important because Dry Eye syndrome causes the tear film to become unstable, with the loss of water resulting in progressive deterioration of the ocular surface. There have been new advances in testing and treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome and we encourage you to make an appointment today to visit one of our physicians at Tomoka Eye Associates, your trusted leaders in eye care.