Tear labratory |
Dry Eye
Diagnostic procedures
About 75% of the population over the age of 65 suffer from the so-called dry eye. This causes a wetting disorder of the ocular surface. Part of the tear film is produced by the meibomian glands. They produce the fat layer, the so-called lipid layer. If this is disturbed, it leads to increased evaporation of the tear fluid. The majority of all dry eyes have a malfunction of the meibomian glands.
For diagnosis, we offer you a special program, which we would like to introduce to you. These services of the tear laboratory are not part of the scope of the statutory health insurance.
To record your symptoms, you will first receive a free questionnaire. Based on this, the success of a subsequent therapy can be illustrated.
Slit lamp examination
At the slit lamp the examination of the front eye section takes place. Here, the cornea, conjunctiva and eyelids are examined. Among other things, attention is paid to the irritation and moistening of the conjunctiva, as well as to the position, tension and closure of the eyelids.
Assessment of the secretion of the meibomian glands
The meibomian glands produce the lipid layer of the tear film, with their ducts at the edges of the lid. At the slit lamp we will judge, whether the excretory ducts are free and whether the secretion is changed, with a standardized pressure test (painless).
Schirmer's test
This test is used to measure eye tear production. For this purpose, a paper strip is suspended in the outer lid angle. The unaesthetized eye (Schirmer I) should be wetted approx. 15 mm. In the case of the Schirmer II, the eye is anaesthetized beforehand, more than 10 mm are considered normal, less than 5 mm in 5 minutes as certainly pathological.
Tear fluid - LipiView
Non-contact measurement of the tear fluid with LipiView
The LipiView allows the measurement of the quality of the lipid layer of the tear fluid, such as that of the eyelid. It provides information about the shape of the dry eye. If the lipid layer is too thin or the eyeblinks are insufficient, this can be the cause of a dry eye. With LipiView a digital recording and analysis of the tear fluid is possible and the thickness of the lipid proportion can be measured (proportion of the outer layer.)