Diagnosing Dry Eye with TearLab and InflammaDry
Diagnosing Dry Eye
Dry eye occurs when your eyes either produce too little tears or poor quality tears. Millions of people experience the discomfort of dry eye symptoms—red, itchy, watery eyes, blurred vision, and the feeling of sand or grit in your eye. While many of these people are ultimately diagnosed with dry eye syndrome, millions more go undiagnosed. Frequently, people don’t even realize their symptoms are a result of dry eye. Since symptoms of dry eye are similar to other conditions such as eye allergies, people often don’t feel it’s necessary to visit their eye doctor.
However, it’s important to see your eye doctor if you do experience dry eye symptoms. Diagnosing dry eye requires a comprehensive eye exam. During this time, our eye doctors may do a few tests to help with the diagnosis including InflammaDry® and TearLab®. These two tests represent the innovation being made in dry eye diagnostic technology. Both are completed in-office with results given before you leave the office.
InflammaDry
InflammaDry is a quick test used to look for an inflammatory marker in tears called MMP-9. People who have higher levels of this specific marker are more likely to have dry eye. The doctor uses the InflammaDry device to collect a sample of your tears and within 10 minutes a blue or red line will appear to illustrate whether the results are positive or negative.
TearLab
TearLab is a device used to test for the osmolarity of your tears. It basically examines the saltiness of your tears. Using the device, the doctor takes a small sample of your tears from each eye and then the TearLab gives a precise measurement of the saltiness. The higher the number, the saltier your tears are which is an indicator of dry eyes.
If you have 2 or more of the following symptoms, you may want to consider getting tested for dry eye syndrome.
□ Blurry vision
□ Redness
□ Burning
□ Itching
□ Light sensitivity
□ Excessive tearing/watery eyes
□ Tired eyes/eye fatigue
□ Stringy mucus in or around the eyes
□ Foreign body sensation
□ Contact lens discomfort
□ Scratchy, feeling of sand or grit in eye
□ Fluctuating vision
The eye doctors at Chester County Eye Care are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye. To schedule a dry eye evaluation at one of our three Chester County locations, call (610) 696-1230.
