What are dry spots

[bernmee]

So I was told today I hae dry spots on my conrnea due to MGD.

I tried googling "dry spots' but didn't find anything really worthwhile.

Is "dry spots on the cornea" something that goes hand in hand with dry eye. makes sense that it would but just thought I would throw it out there.

I was told after having Lasik I had dry eye but no spots, my newDr. said I have more now then at my first appointment.

Is it ok to have dry spots or should I be concerned. Obvioulsy I would prefer not to have them but i the realm of "dry eye life" is this ok.

Thanks,

bernadette

[kimby2007]

Dry spots

Dry spots are picked up by the dye that doctors use on your eyes. It marks where the cornea is dry as you said. Some of us with dry eyes have dry spots others don't. Symptoms don't always match up to signs.

[Jen72]

I supposedly have those too, I would like to know more also.

[bernmee]

Here is a link I found that should help.

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=3580

Tonight I'm sitting down to make myself a mask and a cape and in the middle of the night, after I put in an extra dose of Genteal gel pm I'm going out on a mission to smash every Lasik machine, just got to think of a logo to put on that cape....

[dan_can]

I think it means you have "staining" on your cornea : under the blue light, the doctor can see the dye has accumulated, in "spots", which means there is dryness. Your eyes are dry. In the first months post-lasik, I had spotting on the cornea, and it all went away/cured.

Now, my cornea is "spot free", but there is staining at 3:00 and 9:00 on the "white" of my eyes, at the same place there are huge dilated vessels. And no one knows why...

[Smithy K]

I have the same - blood shot lines in the white of my eyes - on each outer edge so - 9 and 3 like you said - Very strange. They dont bother me thaaaat much - although I did stand in a double mirror the other day with a hand held mirror and studied them and when I look as far a way as possible (inwards) - so to see the outer edge - it was not a pretty sight. Lots of red veins, yuck ! One eye has one vein running from outer edge towards the cornea then in turns back 2mm on its self.....PECULIAR!!!!!! The other eye looks like spiders webb on the outer egde...I suppose no one will have any answers for us about this either.... If I keep looking straight I dont look too bad !!!!!!!!!!! I will just have to turn my head instead of my eyes - will look like a robot ! ha ha

But now as I have this obsession with everyones eyes I have noticed that most "NORMAL" people also have more veins in the outer edges but not just as bad ..

[acarol]

So I was told today I hae dry spots on my conrnea due to MGD.

I tried googling "dry spots' but didn't find anything really worthwhile.

Is "dry spots on the cornea" something that goes hand in hand with dry eye. makes sense that it would but just thought I would throw it out there.

I was told after having Lasik I had dry eye but no spots, my newDr. said I have more now then at my first appointment.

Is it ok to have dry spots or should I be concerned. Obvioulsy I would prefer not to have them but i the realm of "dry eye life" is this ok.

Thanks,

bernadette

Try googling 'dry spots on the cornea'.

[bernmee]

I did, but it just didn't tell me if this was something to be worried about, such as, can the dry spot lead to scarring, permanent vision loss etc.

I'm guessing if it didn't say anything about this then its ok...in the world of dry eye.

How are you gettting on acarol on your new meds...any improvement.

Bernadette

[Rebecca Petris]

Dry spots can also be SPK.

I know that vision loss is often a big source of stress for people with significant dry eye pain, and I think that one of the few redeeming qualities of DES is that while doctors may not identify anything corresponding to the severity of our pain & other symptoms, anything VISION threatening they will see in a heartbeat. Some people get so dry that their corneas get ulcerated and they end up with scarring. It does not happen overnight and as I said it should be clearly visible during examination.

[bernmee]

Thanks for that...he threw out some letters to me but I can never remember to ask the right questions when sitting in the chair, they go down on my list for the next appointment.

Thankfully I have a Dr. that I trust 100%.

bernadette

[acarol]

I did, but it just didn't tell me if this was something to be worried about, such as, can the dry spot lead to scarring, permanent vision loss etc.

I'm guessing if it didn't say anything about this then its ok...in the world of dry eye.

How are you gettting on acarol on your new meds...any improvement.

Bernadette

Hi Bernadette,
Thanks for asking. I'm doing semi-ok... I'm still doing the warm compresses and lid hygiene, they give some relief. I am also on the minocycline 3 weeks now and I am also seeing a Homeopath who has given me a remedy specifically for my eyes... So i'm HOPING all this will contribute to more improvement for me. I find with the warm compresses though they make the skin around my eyes really irriated.

[indrep]

I think dry spots can be classified as two types.

The most common reference is likely to be to the Tear Breakup Time areas that show the tear film breaking down.

What I refer to as dry spots are those areas of the ocular surface where there is a lack of mucin to hold the aqueous on the ocular surface. The ocular surface alone is "hydrophobic" meaning it does not adhere to water. So a spot without mucin is as Dr. Holly puts it "unwettable".

For those who are talking about the staining, I am assuming Lissamine Green staining on the "white" part of their eyes, what you are actually seeing is the cells that are dead on your conjunctiva. The conjunctiva cells are more susceptible to inflammation. Keep in mind that once inflammation shows up on your conjunctiva it is already affecting your lacrimal glands ability to secrete aqueous.

[bernmee]

indrep,

Thanks for that...I thought I had read something like that somewhere.

But if these spots are "unwettable" how do I make them wettable. I am using Dwell, systane pf, warm compresses, etc.

How much exposure/abus does a 'spot' need before it become "unwettable".

I will have a look in the questions and anwers section. Dr. Holly has written some good stuff and it is probably there. But if you can help great. My eye is really killing me this week and I woudl prefer just to lie down.

I am such a moan!!

[indrep]

Long term you need more goblet cells. They produce the mucins. Systane claims their Guar ingrediant helps cover these spots. Honestly it sounds as though you are doing everything you can at this time. Its not exposure that makes it unwettable its the lack of mucins.

[stella]

I understood that dry spots were "holes " in the tear film
I had those for many months and i certainly knew i had them as they caused my eyes to be hypersensitive ie pain, burning , foreign body sensation,sesitivity to light ---the lot
Thankfully that has passed and i have been told that the tear film is now intact and I can tell the diffetrence since all those symptoms have gone
The tear film as i understand it is a moist film that washes over the front of the eye - the cornea and i suppose the sclera too - the white part of the eye
It is made up of a mucous layer an aqueous layer and an oily layer ,and in dry eye it has holes in it or dry patches exposing the cornea which is very sensitive thereby causing most of our symptoms
I also learned recently that the tear film can be thin
At my last ophthalmic exam at the hospital i was told that my tear film was inact but thin
PS i have always made a distinction between a painful sensitive eyeball and the irritation of prickle and itch i would get with blepharitis ie Inflamation of the eyelids
Anyone any ideas how to make it thicker ?
Presumably the aim for us all with DE is to have a thick, intact, stable tear film