For more information on dry eye disease and dry eye treatment, please visit Dry Eye Relief
Dry eye disease is a very common eye condition that affects all age groups. There are several causes of dry eyes including insufficient production of tears and/or poor meibum oil quality. The latter is known to be the most common cause of dry eyes referred to as evaporative dry eyes or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Meibomian glands sit along the lid margins and they normally contribute clear oil to the tear film, slowing evaporation of the tear film to keep the surface of your eyes hydrated.
Dry eye disease is a global problem, afflicting over 30 million people in the United States alone, at least 344 million people worldwide, and is one of the most frequent causes of patient visits to eye care practitioners. [1]
The meibomian glands naturally deteriorate with age, however they are degrading more rapidly than ever due to our modern lifestyles. The message we at Strathfield Eyecare would like to emphasize is that MGD is chronic, progressive and LARGELY IRREVERSIBLE. Moreover, many people with serious MGD have no symptoms or minimal symptoms. By the time you notice symptoms there can often be a lot of Meibomian Gland loss.
Symptoms of dry eye disease can be very uncomfortable or even painful or cause decline in vision. Dry eyes can seriously decrease quality of life or even cause mental health decline.
Thankfully we now have treatment available that can reduce the progression of MGD and even reserve some MG decline. Early intervention and careful management can vastly improve the long-term outcome for dry eye sufferers.
At Strathfield Eyecare we utilise a device called the Oculus Keratograph K5M. The K5M allows measurements of several aspects of the ocular surface such as how quickly the tears break up and how healthy the meibomian glands are and collates a report called the Jenvis PRO Dry Eye Report.
The Jenvis Pro Dry Eye Report from the Keratograph K5M helps identify the cause of dry eye syndrome quickly and reliably. We use the K5M to form a comprehensive baseline and with subsequent follow up exams we can quantify changes over time. This allows for accurate tracking of many aspects of dry eye disease.
Here are some images of meibomian glands below which is included in our dry eye assessment. They are called meibography and are taken with infra-red light.
For more information on dry eye disease and dry eye treatment, please visit Dry Eye Relief
At Strathfield Eyecare in addition to routine optometric care, we are passionate about the early detection and management of dry eye disease. A dry eye assessment allows us to thoroughly examine the eyes and determine the underlying cause of dry eye to best tailor the treatment plan to each individual patient’s needs. The initial assessment includes assessment of the tear film, quality of the ocular surface, quality and quantity of the blink, the structure of meibomian glands, the quality and expressibility of the meibomian oil, eyelid hygiene and structure, lifestyle considerations, diet and more.
For more information on dry eye disease and dry eye treatment, please visit Dry Eye Relief