I’ve posted a lot over the past few years on Dry Eye Disease.    It affects millions of people every day and I’ve seen, in my practice, the effects and symptoms of dry eye ranging from mild to severe.   Dry Eye Disease can cause

staining of damaged surface cells in Dry Eye Disease

physical symptoms, as well as functional issues.  It can cause blurry and fluctuating vision.   But, a recent study was able to take it a step further and identify a more tangible functional loss due to dry eyes.

In the January 2013 issue of “Optometry and Vision Science,” researchers were able to demonstrate that patients with Dry Eye Disease had a slower rate or speed of reading than individuals without dry eye.    And, the difference in reading speed was pretty significant.    Further, they found that the worse the dry eye condition, the slower the reading speed.

This study truly  points to how dry eyes can affect our everyday lives.     As our eyes become dry, we’ll lose productivity that is tied to reading efficiency and efficacy.   The good news there are many treatments available to address Dry Eye Disease.    Click here to see previous posts about treating dry eyes.

As always, I’d love to hear your comments or questions. Give us a shout over on Facebook or on Google+. And, remember, you can now request your annual eye exam appointment at our office by clicking here.

Dr. Beach.

An interesting study out of Japan this year examined tear production and related dry eye symptoms in two groups of patients: the first group was given caffeine and the second group was not.

Researchers found that the group taking 400 mg of caffeine (almost the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee) show significantly greater volume of ocular surface moisture than the group not taking the caffeine. While researchers proposed caffeine could be responsible for stimulating tear glands the same way it stimulates saliva and digestive juices, they were quick to point out further study is indicated before doctors start prescribing caffeine pills to their patients who suffer from dry eyes.

Of course, it’s no surprise the caffeine group also indicated greater side effects such as increased heart rate, sweating, and nervousness. Although, some of these responses may be due to genetic variations that cause some patients to respond differently to caffeine intake.

While more research is indicated to understand the exact causes and the minimal amount needed to benefit ocular dryness, the bottom line is that morning cup of Joe may be helping to reduce the level of ocular surface dryness.

As always, I’d love to hear your comments or questions. Give us a shout over on Facebook or on Google+. And, remember, you can now request your annual eye exam appointment at our office by clicking here.

Dr. Beach

Dry Eye is much more than a symptom or a feeling.   For many people, it’s an actual syndrome.   What does Dry Eye Syndrome look like?   Green Swirls and Green dots of course!

abnormal evaporation of tear layer

Before you go asking your friend of family member if they see any green dots or swirls in your eye, let me first say that’s estimated Dry Eye Syndrome affects millions of people in the United States.   The symptoms may range from mild dryness all the way to severe redness, irritation, itching and sandy feeling.  The dryness may go beyond a simple lack of moisture to actually causing damage to the front surface of the eye.

When patients come to our practice with complaints related to dry eyes, we instill a temporary dye made of sodium-flouroscein.   The dye lasts for about 10 minutes,during which time we use a special cobalt blue light to excite the dye.   Doing so allows us to physically see the patient’s ocular dryness and its effect on the eye.   This is where  the green swirls and green dots come in.

When ocular dryness isn’t a problem, the tear layer forms an even coat across the surface of the eye.  However, the green swirls in the top picture show the tear layer evaporating off the surface of the eye unevenly.   Normally, this tear layer should last for 10 seconds. In patients with dry eye, it may only last 2 or 3 seconds before evaporating and typically looks just like the top picture.

staining of damaged surface cells

When the dryness is chronic, it can physically damage the surface layer of the eye.   The bottom picture with the green dots shows the sodium flourescein staining these damaged cells.   There are a lot of sensory nerves in this area, so when this damage occurs the person will typically experience irritation, discomfort,or a sandy feeling.

The good news is there are treatments available.  Artificial tears are just one way to treat Dry Eye Syndrome.   When the green swirls and dots show, it may be time for prescription medications or tear saver plugs.

As always, we’d love to hear from you.    Post a question or give us a shout out on our Facebook page!

Dr. Beach