Health Care Basics

It sounds ironic, but if your eyes are constantly watering, you still may need chronic dry eye treatment. People who are experiencing too much tear being produced, which is obvious by the fact that their eyes are constantly watering, are often referred to an oculoplast by their GP or optometrist. An oculoplast is a surgeon who does things like fix tear duct obstructions, droopy eyelids, orbital fractures, and performs tumor removal in and around the eye area etc). The GP or optometrist will often come to the conclusion that the excess eye watering is due to the patients drainage ducts being blocked (known as nasolacrimal duct obstruction). They are then sent to the oculoplast to have the blockage removed.

Seems straight forward enough…

The need for chronic dry eye treatment often not recognized
However, in a recent study, of 150 patients referred to an oculoplast for excessive tearing, 48 per cent had an actual blockage, 40 per cent were diagnosed with dry eye excess tearing and 12% had an abnormal eye lid diagnosis. 100 per cent of these patients had to undergo a Schirmers test* to calculate the basal tear production, and therefore if they actually had dry eye syndrome as opposed to a drainage duct blockage. So a massive 40 per cent were misdiagnosed and sent to the oculoplast when the GP should have recognized that they have need chronic dry eye treatment!

So clearly around 40 per cent of the time, the excess tearing is not because the tear ducts are blocked, but because the eye is dry. Excess tearing is actually one of these symptoms.

Why excess tears can mean chronic dry eye treatment is needed?

The eye overcompensates with the amount of tear being produced because the eye is recognizing that the quality of the tear is inferior and does not contain the correct amount of oil/water to hydrate the eye the way it should – in other words – the eye is dry. It sounds odd but it is very common for this to be obvious by ‘excess tear production’. As these tears are poor quality, the brain sends a message to product more tears in the hope that more tears will result in eye hydration. So the eye creates more tears, but they are more of the same… the quality is so low that the message keeps being sent. Hence the constant extreme tear production.

The fact that so many people are referred to oculoplast, when they actually have dry eye is just another reason why general practitioners and optometrists need to be able to diagnose their patients more accurately – and in turn send them to a more appropriate specialist. So much time and money is wasted because of this ignorance and carelessness. Not to mention how much money is wasted…

People needing chronic dry eye treatment need to be sent straight to an opthamologist. This does not guarantee that the specialist will know how to eliminate the dryness and redness(!) but at least they’ll be closer to the solution. Patients shouldn’t be expected to be able to diagnose themselves on this basis and know where they need to be sent, but medical practitioners should be able to recognise one ailment from another! They have a professional obligation to be effective and efficient and validate the patients’ trust in them. If you can’t trust a GP – who can you trust?

*The Schirmer’s test is an extremely painful, primal (and some would say, humiliating) test to diagnose chronic dry eye treatment which further shows the unwillingness of the medical community to keep up with technology in the diagnosis of eye disease.

If you are new to the business and are trying to outfit your first eye-care practice, you are probably feeling overwhelmed. There are so many different manufacturers of Ophthalmic Instruments that it is hard to choose which one is best for your situation. Also, if you are not buying used ophthalmic equipment then choosing the wrong brand can be a costly mistake and one that could start your business off on the wrong foot.

When you go looking for Ophthalmic Equipment you should keep an eye out for the following brands:

· Canon – Of course you will now this company from their fine digital cameras and electronics. The same quality workmanship is found in their line of digital retinal cameras, auto refractors and an auto-alignment tonometer that is the first of its kind in the world.

· Haag-Streit – They have been producing Ophthalmic Instruments for over 260 years now and are known as the standard for patient care.

· Ocular – Many of the best eye-care professionals choose Ocular because of their dedication to making high performance equipment and their commitment to perfection.

· Marco – They have been in the business for over 40 years and are known for making innovative new changes to classic diagnostic equipment for eye care.

· Keeler – Keeler is an English manufacturer with a headquarters in the United States. They have gained quite a reputation for dependability over their 80 years in the industry.

· Propper – The name to know when it comes to having a germ free work place. They are experts in manufacturing sterilization control supplies and medical products for surgery or laboratory uses.

· Reliance Medical – The best manufacturer to buy for your chairs, stools and stands. They are comfortable but stand up to the strenuous use that a busy practice will expose them to.

These are only a small example of the many manufacturers that are well-known for producing Ophthalmic Instruments. You do not want to buy from a lesser known brand because of the scarcity of parts. If you have an equipment breakdown then you will want to get it back up and running as quickly as you can. If the brand is not widely known then you could have trouble finding the correct parts. Also, if you are going to be buying used ophthalmic equipment you will want to have the best durability possible. Many of the big names in the industry have gained their reputation through the years by having equipment that lasts forever. It is not a guarantee of a great product but the odds will definitely be in your favor if you choose your brands carefully.