New Approaches for Diagnosis & Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome

New Approaches for Diagnosis and Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome

“The more we learn about dry eye, the more we need to understand”.

Today’s eye doctors are faced with a great deal of uncertainty.  The more we learn about dry eye syndrome, the more we need to understand.  Options for treatment are actually getting more restricted due to domination by prescription drugs which increased the cost of dry eye treatment in recent years by many folds.

What do we know about tear film and mucin?

Some of the new research in dry eye has a paradigm-shifting in our understanding of dry eye disorder.

For example, the tear film. Once thought to be 7µm in thickness and three layers thick (mucin, aqueous and lipid), it is now generally accepted the tear film is 3µm-to-4µm thick, and there are two layers: a mucin-aqueous gradient “gel” and a lipid layer.  We now have a better understanding of mucins—MUC 16 is not a membrane-bound mucin and thus, is mobile and capable of forming a gradient in the aqueous layer.  This allows the formation of “crusty” build up on eye lids- potentially attracting bacteria or mites resulting in BLEPHARITIS.

Today’s Dry Eye sufferers are more informed

Due to the internet boom, people today are more informed and need more answers before they go to see eye doctor(s).   When your eye doctor do tests to determine the extent of your dry eyes, be sure to ask for details, name of the exact test that are performed and the test values.  All too often, the eye doctors simply tell you his diagnosis without providing test results.  Test results help determine the degree of dryness and help track progress when you do use TheraLife dry eye treatment protocols. .  

What is Ocular Surface Disease?

Ocular Surface Disease is composed a family of conditions impacting the front of the eye and associated adnexa. Terms such as blepharitis, meibomian gland disease or dysfunction (MGD), keratoconjunctivitis sicca, meibomitis, and meibomian keratoconjunctivitis, among others, led to the concept of dry eye disease and no less than 10 different classification schemes for some component of dry eye or blepharitis through the years.

How to Diagnose Dry Eye?

The problem is there is no single accepted diagnostic test for dry eye and the tests we do use often correlate poorly with symptoms. It is suggested that doctors ask a series of questions in addition to some of the more accepted conventional tests for dry eyes:

• Schirmer’s Test –to measure tear volume
• Tear Breakup Test- to determine tear viscosity

1.      Ask about symptoms. Have the patient describe in his/her own words how his/her eyes feel, when they feel the worst and how it is impacting his/her life. Record this information, and refer to it at follow-up visits. Note current treatments, including frequency of application.

2.      Look at the lids. Twenty years ago, we looked at the lids, but at some point, we stopped. Start to express the meibomian glands- squeeze fluid out. If you see a blocked gland on slit-lamp evaluation in symptomatic patients with quiet lids, you will be surprised by what you find.  Be patient—press, move laterally, press, move back, re-press. Look at the quality of the secretions, and record your description.

3.       Stain. Most practitioners use fluorescein to assess tear break-up and staining of the cornea. Wait at least one minute before fully evaluating corneal staining. Believe me, you will see more. Then, use lissamine green, and again, wait a minute or two before you observe the ocular surface. This dye takes time to color mucin and devitalized cells. A band-like pattern across the inferior third of the cornea usually means either incomplete blink or possible MGD. A new product, Fluramene (Noble Vision Group), can do the job of both staining agents with one drop.

Get Your Doctor to Take Time for You

Your doctor should take time to do the proper medical exam and provide sufficient information for you why certain decisions are made.

I hear all too often that the doctors are doing the minimal, do not take time to explain to the patients what is going on with their sometimes debilitating dry eye conditions – leading to much frustrations on both patients and doctors.

To learn more: go to www.theralife.com

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Doctors Recommended!  Works 80% for first time users!

TheraLife® Eye Enhanced works by increasing intracellular metabolism (Mito-Activation), membrane permeability and blood micro circulation. This enables the Eye Enhanced to stimulate the all the tear glands (meibomian, lacrimal and goblet cells) to secret its own tears naturally as well as overcome issues with poor micro-circulation and membrane permeability.  Taking TheraLife Eye Enhanced capsules before bedtime can often relieve night time dry eye symptoms. 

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