What does corneal staining actualy test for?

[sazy123]

When i go to optitions they only do corneal staining not schimmer etc, but doctors tend to do schimmer. Hardly anyone does TBUT.

I was just wondering does corneal staining show up an evaportaive problem, coz i know my dry eye is evaportive but when ever i only have a corneal staining test im told the staining is not that bad and my eyes are not that bad. If this just shows up dry spots, if you didnt have aqeous deficency then would you have less dry sopts?

Im also wondering why if the the most common form of dry eye is evaportive or lipid problem, Why is Schimmer test widely used and TBUT isnt? well thats the case in the UK anyway. Its not like TBUT is a really complicated, all you do is count. I just think its strange when evaportive dry eye is more common.

chears

[kitty]

It depends on what kind of dye they use as to what they can see. My doc uses fluorescein. It helps him visualize the tear lake as well as the dry spots. If the tear lake is minuscule, like mine is, then the problem is aqueous deficient. My doc told me that he knows that I also have a mucin layer deficiency because I have burning. This would be a good question to pose to Dr. Latkany.

[sazy123]

thanks kitty i may do that.

anyone else have an idea about if it shows evaporative dry eye?

[kitty]

thanks kitty i may do that.

anyone else have an idea about if it shows evaporative dry eye?

You might be interested in this article, which addresses aqueous deficient and evaporative dry eye.... speaking of Dr. Latkany!

http://www.dryeyedoctor.com/ocular.html

[Natalie06]

This is a great question...

The day I had my schirmer test score of ZERO, my eyes showed no dry spots with Lissamine green. Needless to say, I was in a lot of pain. Yet two weeks later, on a cloudy, cool rainy day when my eyes felt "less" dry, my corneas and conjunctiva both showed dry spots after Lissamine staining.

So another dry eye test that seems relatively meaningless?

Natalie

[sazy123]

Natalie06: Yes exactly, whats the point in these tests sometimes? I think the only reliable one in my opinion is TBUT, coz the only time i had that done it came up 5/6 secs which corresponds with my symptoms and assumption of evaporative dry eye. But when i had it done ages ago, after having a normal schimmer and what ever else i was told again your eyes dont look that bad, i asked how many seconds the TBUT test was, he told me so i said 'see there you go it should be at least 10 seconds'. But the doc said 'i dont know whether to trust that test'. WHY WHEN IT CORRELATES WITH MY SYMPTOMS AND THE OTHER TESTS DONT?? Dr latkanys test works in the morning when i have blurey vision after waking up, but my vision isnt blurey in the day.

My own test works quite well. count how seconds i can hold my eye open until theres irratation. when they feel really bad 5/6 secs, when ok 8 secs, when feel good 9/10 secs, when i have face pain (eyes really good) 18 secs. I think its a good indicator.