Improving dry eye diagnosis

It is a rare day indeed where a practitioner does not meet dry eye. Just by looking at the sheer volume of articles in this publication dedicated to dry eye detection and management it becomes apparent what a significant condition this is to the community eye care practitioner.

Dry eye disease is thought to affect between 5 and 30 per cent of the population aged over 50.1 Too often in the past, assessment and management have been based on the impact on fluorescein break-up and the use of ocular lubricants to supplement a depleted tear film. Underlying contributory factors are now known to contribute to symptoms and can be usefully incorporated into the design of a management plan.