Dry Eye Institutes of America™ was founded to take advantage of an explosion of new knowledge and advancements to more effectively diagnose and treat dry eye disease (also referred to as dry eye syndrome, dry eye, or dry eyes). Dry eye awareness has existed for quite some time, yet the advancements we have today mainly come from a relatively recent understanding of this disease.
Years ago dry eyes was often viewed as an eye irritation requiring over-the-counter eye drops. Even today many people relate dry eye treatment to TV commercials for branded eye drops. Typically this provided only temporary, perhaps momentary relief.
Over time doctors began seeing an increase in patients withdry eye symptoms. With a lack of understanding and treatment options, ophthalmologists, optometrists and other doctors were frustrated at not being able to properly diagnose and treat this condition. It didn’t take a medical degree to realize something needed to change.
In 1994 a National Eye Institute workshop brought together noted scientists, clinicians, and researchers to define and clarify dry eye disease. Their report was considered the first definitive research to date, setting the stage for a better understanding this disease. Generally their findings stand today: that dry eyes is a tear film disorder due to tear deficiency or excessive tear evaporation causing eye discomfort.
In many ways, dry eye disease didn’t come into its own until 2007. This was when the International Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS) further defined the research performed in 1994, taking it to a much higher level. The DEWS report is widely considered the most definitive study on dry eye disease. Its nearly 200 pages put dry eye disease under a microscope, literally and figuratively.
In short, the report confirmed that dry eyes was more prevalent, complex, and potentially debilitating than imagined. From a big picture perspective, it noted a wider variety of causes, symptoms, and severities; that more people than estimated suffered from chronic dry eyes; and that age, gender, and a variety of specific health conditions determined risk.
Overall the DEWS report established that dry eye disease was a frequently under-recognized, challenging disease. It inspired numerous advancements, including new diagnostic technologies and treatment options. While there is still no cure for dry eyes, we now know that it can be managed to help patients live more symptom free. And we now have more ways to diagnose and pinpoint a patient’s condition, and tailor treatment to that condition.
If you suspect you have dry eyes, contact Dry Eye Institutes of America™ at 817-488-3490. Our main office is conveniently located in Grapevine, with affiliated Dallas/Fort Worth specialists near you.