eye disorders
Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca
Diagnosis of Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca
Schirmer test and tear breakup test Doctors diagnose dry eyes by the symptoms and appearance of the eyes and by doing some tests. Both tests are done before instilling drops of any kind. Doctors examine the eyes with a What Is a Slit Lamp? (an instrument that enables a doctor to examine the eye under high magnification) to determine whether the eye has been damaged. During the examination, the doctor may apply eye drops that contain a yellow-green dye called The Schirmer test—in which a strip of filter paper is placed at the edge of the eyelid—is used to measure the amount of tears produced during the next 5-minutes. They may also measure how long it takes for the eye to become dry when the person stares (called the tear breakup time). 