Tear Break up

[acarol]

Went for check-up with my optician - my tear break up time is 5 - is this bad? He said the inflammation is gone but still dryness

[Lucy]

The question is---How do your eyes feel rather than the amount of break-up or Schirmer's score. On tear break-up it is pretty subjective. If your eyes feel ok, then the number of seconds doesn't matter. For some, 5 would be an improvement. For others, it would mean they're hurting.

He said "the inflammation is gone." That is important and I hope it stays away. Take care. Lucy

[acarol]

Hi Lucy,

They still feel dry - i did have a lot of burning and stinging but that seems to have gone - they do still feel dry and uncomfortable though and very sensitive around perfumes, petrol fumes etc.

I don't really understand my whole problem - i went to see a eye specialist last month and she said she saw no dryness, while today the Optician said he did see dryness. Does this mean my eyes have become dryer in the last month?

[bassfan]

I don't really understand my whole problem - i went to see a eye specialist last month and she said she saw no dryness, while today the Optician said he did see dryness. Does this mean my eyes have become dryer in the last month?

Just as with TBUT, I think thats very subjective. I've seen like 8 different eye doc types in the past couple years and have had varied responses from them all from your eyes look fine, MG's are producing to they look fairly dry and at least half the MG's arent doing anything.

bassfan

[untkicker29]

I agree with the bassfan about the different opinions you will get from different doctors. I have been told totally different things from different doctors.

Also, as you read around on here and other websites, those tests can be pretty worthless in some instances. I have read where some people can basically produce a "0" on the schirmer test, but yet be completely pain free and then you have cases on the other end of the spectrum. Of course the tests do have some worth when used in conjunction with how you "actually" feel.

Just my two cents.

[brd888]

Subjective

I agree with other posters - the clinical signs and patient's symptoms don't always collate. In fact even the medics are starting to see this.
It is how your eyes feel which shows progress and tests optometrists do can only point toward the cause of your symptoms.

[acarol]

Thanks for the replies - i think his diagnois was correct though as my eyes did feel and still do feel very dry, don't know why it wasn't seen before, maybe they weren't as dry.

[rubyslippers]

My doctor says he won't even test for the numbers. He goes completely by the amount of discomfort a patient is in. He says he sees people that look like they have mild dry eye with severe and debilitating discomfort and others who look like they should miserable doing tolerably. He says no one can measure another person's sensitivity and this is why he goes only by the patient.

[acarol]

Well i've been for 8 eye check-ups in the last 3 months and this is the first time i've been told the tear break is NOT normal, an eye specialist told me she could see no problem! The funny thing is the burning and stinging seems to have eased off but i feel more dry now, what is this i wonder??