COOL OPTOMETRY |
DRY EYE DISEASE
A Solution for Thirsty Eyes by Elisa DeMartino
T
he first recorded mention of our need for tears, and the concept of dry eye, dates back to 1550 BC from an ancient Egyptian medical document called the Ebers Papyrus. In it, they referred to tears as “the water within.” Speaking of Egypt, let’s imagine a desert oasis. There’s dry air all around, but one obvious factor can relieve that: an oasis with water. In the desert, a quick glance at the surroundings makes it clear why it’s arid and where to go next. But with dry eye, the solution isn’t as simple — and discerning the topography of the eye requires a more detailed look.
(like autoimmune diseases) and, in frustration, are doomed to hop from practitioner to practitioner seeking relief.* The Keratograph 5M (OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) provides such an oasis in the desert of dry eye. This advanced corneal topographer, with a built-in keratometer and color camera optimized for imaging, offers a comprehensive eye examination complete with an easy-tounderstand report that doctors can use to advise patients.
Diagnosing dry eye Dry eye is a multifactorial disease characterized by unstable tear film. This causes a variety of symptoms and/or visual impairments, and is potentially accompanied by ocular surface damage. There is a key word here: multifactorial. The numerous conditions associated with dry eye can make it difficult to pinpoint the underlying cause. Indeed, sometimes a patient’s dry eye isn’t noticeable during regular exams until they experience vision impairment. Unfortunately, many patients also experience dry eye as a result of other conditions involving other organs in the body
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Benefiting patients Dr. Pragnya Rao, works as a consultant ophthalmologist specializing in cornea and ocular surface diseases at the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India, which has launched a dedicated dry eye clinic for comprehensive care of these patients. Before implementing the OCULUS Keratograph 5M, the clinic was already equipped with LipiView (Johnson & Johnson Vision, Florida, USA)
| May 2021
and IDRA (Clarion Medical Technologies, Ontario, Canada) for tear film analysis and utilizing LipiFlow (Johnson & Johnson Vision) for therapeutic interventions. The team catering to care of dry eye patients also includes a panel of physicians who do detailed workups for autoimmune diseases that are associated with dry eye disease. In other words, all patients undergo a complete, systematic evaluation once they visit the dry eye clinic. “They work to understand what type of dry eye does the patient have, what is the underlying cause, and if there are any other issues in the body, like a generalized systemic issue, that is causing it,” Dr. Rao explained. “It’s a very holistic approach of treating a patient with dry eye disease. We look at the extent of involvement of the eyes and other organs, and at the same time try to treat both together.” Almost two years ago, the LVPEI’s dry eye clinic added the OCULUS Keratograph 5M. Dr. Rao asserts that it’s been a great addition to the capacities of their practice. The most appreciated element of the machine for the clinic is the amount and variety of information it measures. “We are able to image the oil glands that are present in the eyelids,”
