This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Editorial
Targeting a Common Problem
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Just when you thought there could not possibly be another specialty topic covered by its own publication, along comes Dry Eye & Ocular Surface, a quarterly continuing medical education publication. The journal is timely and topical: Dry eye and ocular surface disease are so widespread that ophthalmologists have tended to ignore them, focusing instead on more critical problems we have become adept at handling. We have gotten so good at restoring vision that our patients are now demanding quality vision symptom-free.
Many of our patients—post-LASIK or cataract surgery, wearing contact lenses, using multiple drops for glaucoma, or just in the office for a yearly visit—complain of dry eye and ocular surface symptoms. We hear them say: “My eyes are dry, my eyes are irritated, my eyes just don’t feel good since the surgery. I am not comfortable with my vision.”
The bottom line is that dry eye disease and ocular surface disease are chronic pain syndromes associated with fluctuating vision, and the conditions are far more common than most ophthalmologists suppose. As with back pain, we may not see any major eye problem, but the patient is not happy. Symptoms interfere with daily activities and certainly affect quality of life, whether at work or home.
|
This new publication will bring practical “pearls” for recognizing dry eye disease and applying the most current treatment options to provide the best in patient care. Medicine is still an art, and each article is authored by one of our colleagues with expertise in the topic, backed up by evidence-based information and key references.
We don’t all agree on treatment for most medical problems, and here, too, you will find a variety of approaches to diagnosis and treatment from experts in the field. I welcome your feedback and suggestions and look forward to sharing the innovations that will put all of us on the forefront of this field and help us to alleviate the chronic pain of dry eye disease.
This inaugural issue includes an overview of dry eye disease diagnosis and management and current knowledge on the economic burden of the condition, as well as an expert interview and a photo quiz and case study. Recent research presented at ARVO is also highlighted.
Penny A. Asbell, MD, FACS, MBA