Publication Exclusive: Dry eye a common but still often overlooked condition

Dry eye is a problem that every ophthalmologist faces on a daily basis. It is one of the most frequent causes for patients to visit the ophthalmologist. Dry eye is a progressive disease, so the longer it goes untreated, the worse the symptoms become. Dry eye should also be considered as a risk factor when planning surgery, and it can influence the visual outcome in cataract and refractive surgery.

For sheer treatment purposes, the most common treatment regimen addresses the most frequent reason for dry eye: daily lid margin cleansing for chronic blepharitis, which can be as simple as warm and moist towelettes to a more sophisticated approach using mechanical devices that provide warm pressure to the lids to stimulate lipid flow, such as LipiFlow (TearScience).

Farhad Hafezi

As with many ocular surface problems, dry eye is multifactorial. As Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, stated in a recent editorial, dry eye patients should be approached from a holistic perspective to properly diagnosis the disease. Dedicating time to speaking with the patient, conducting questionnaires, evaluating the tear film, and examining the skin quality on the patient’s face and hands will provide a more comprehensive understanding about how to manage the symptoms before even examining the patient at the slit lamp.

Click here to read the full commentary from Farhad Hafezi, MD, PhD, published in Ocular Surgery News Europe Edition, February 2016.