Can symptoms help determine your dry eye cause?

[hopeful_hiker]

I am curious whether dry eye symptoms vary depending on the primary disease cause. For instance, do people with aqueous deficiency feel different from those with the evaporative dry eye or those with both?

If you have a second, could you please respond with your type of dry eye and 1-3 major symptoms (e.g. gritty, burning, watering)?

• ADDE (aqueous-deficient dry eye)
• EDE (evaporative dry eye)
• ADE + EDDE
• Neuropathic pain
• Iatrogenic
• Anatomical
• Other

For example, in my case:

EDE (right eye) - 7 second TBUT, normal tear meniscus height, normal Schirmer’s
EDE + ADDE marginal (left eye) - 5 second TBUT, 0.2-0.3 mm tear meniscus, normal Schirmer’s

-friction (dismcomfort or pain) sensation when blinking (especially in the right eye) with a sore spot towards the evening (may be from inner hordeola) right eye only. This friction issue is my major problem. Oddly enough my drier eye is better.

-dryness sensation in environments with humidity less than 50% (I feel much better at 75%+)

-occasional mild burning with some mild watery feeling (sometimes with eyes “cramping” and tearing)

I feel better in mild wind (reflex tearing) and humid places. Malls/stores are the worst!

[farmgirl]

It is difficult to assess because often the two are comorbid. For example I have Sjogrens so obviously I am aqueous deficient but, as it turns out I also have severe MGD.

Severe dryness sensation with humidity levels of -50%.
Some burning/stinging more pronounced at night
Rarely a water sensation.
Malls/stores and public buildings are terrible.
Rarely friction discomfort.
TBUT 1
Photophobia
ADDE+EDE+anatomical

[jack1988]

It is difficult to assess because often the two are comorbid. For example I have Sjogrens so obviously I am aqueous deficient but, as it turns out I also have severe MGD.

Severe dryness sensation with humidity levels of -50%.
Some burning/stinging more pronounced at night
Rarely a water sensation.
Malls/stores and public buildings are terrible.
Rarely friction discomfort.
TBUT 1
Photophobia
ADDE+EDE+anatomical

Hi farmgirl,

Does your photophobia extend to the sun?

I am okay in the office or at home wit the main light on, but when I leave the office, the sun really gives my left eye problems, stinging / watering etc...The weird thing is, before I leave the office my left eye feels fine, and all the tests I have had done show no inflammation, salt content is normal, glands are good. It's my right eye that has the dry eye symptoms

[farmgirl]

Mostly it is the sun that I have issues with. Inside lights are generally not enough to bother me although I do prefer to have the light from the computer monitor turned down and don't full blast the lights in any given room if there are dimmers. Generally if I am outside I have my moisture chamber sunglasses on.

[a2chitta]

Hi Famgirl,

What brand/model moisture chamber glasses do you wear? Do they work well outdoors and in windy areas ?