Dry eye disease is a common condition in which a person doesn’t have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision.

Dry eyes can occur when tear production and drainage are not in balance. People with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears or their tears are of a poor quality.

You may be more likely to suffer from dry eye disease if:

• You’re over the age of 50
• You wear contact lenses
• You look at computer screens for a long time without a break
• You spend time in air conditioned or heated environments
• It’s windy, cold, dry or dusty
• You smoke or drink alcohol
• You take certain medications (for example, some antidepressants or blood pressure medicines)
• You have certain conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome or lupus
• You have an eye condition such as anterior blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction or demodex mites

It is important to establish the cause of your dry eye before commencing treatment. At a Dry Eye Assessment appointment your optometrists will find the cause of your dry eye and produce a management plan.

At your dry eye assessment appointment, a specially trained optometrist will first take a thorough history to discuss and determine your symptoms. They will then examine your eyes using a microscope and use specialised tests to look for signs and potential causes of dry eye disease. The findings and management options will then be discussed with you in detail. Your optometrist will advise you how regularly you need follow up appointments, typically every 6 months.

Whilst dry eye disease is a chronic condition and there is currently no cure, we can help manage and alleviate your symptoms with treatment. Following your dry eye assessment, your optometrist will create a tailor-made treatment plan for you. Depending on the cause of your dry eye, we can advise on lifestyle changes, eye drops, lid hygiene products and BlephEx™ treatment.