Did You Know…There are Several Causes of Dry Eye?

From deepest layer to surface layer, our tears are a combination of mucous, salt water, and oil. Evaporation is the root cause of 86% of all dry eye disease, which means there just isn’t enough oil in the lipid layer to keep the layers of mucous and salt water beneath it from evaporating. This past year, I invested in high tech imaging instruments that can actually look at the oil glands in the eyelids and see how they’re functioning. I can now diagnose exactly what type of dry eye a patient has, even if there are no symptoms!

Not all treatments work the same for everyone, so knowing the root cause of your particular type of dry eye allows me to make customized recommendations that truly help. Some patients do well with at-home treatments, and other patients need to be treated with our in-office medical grade instruments (IPL/LLLT and Lipiflow). I do imaging on everyone during their annual exam, so it’s important to make sure you get this imagine done every year to prevent and treat Dry Eye Disease.

- Dr. Kuenning