Evaluation
Dry eye tests
A dry eye evaluation measures how your tears are made, how long they stay on the eye and how the oil glands in your lids are working. The same gritty, burning or tired feeling can come from different problems, and the tests tell your doctor which one to start with.
The visit takes about an hour and a quarter and is for adults and for contact lens wearers.
- Sudden vision loss, flashes of light, a curtain over your vision, a chemical splash or an eye injury needs care now. Call our office right away or go to an emergency room. If you can't reach us, call 911.
What each test measures
Six tests, six answers
Blink and tear film breakup
How you blink, and how many seconds pass before the tear film breaks up on the front of the eye.
Tear volume
How many tears you make, measured with a thin strip or a gentle reading at the lid.
Dye staining
A harmless dye that shows dry patches and tiny scratches on the surface of the eye.
Oil gland imaging
A picture of the glands along the lids, which make the oil that keeps tears from drying.
Lid and lash check
A look at the lid edges for redness, crusting and the small mites that can live on lashes.
Contact lens check
If you wear lenses, a look at how they sit, how they are cleaned and how long they stay in.
Before you come
Billing, and what to bring
How it is billed
A dry eye evaluation is usually billed to medical insurance, and a routine exam to a vision plan. We check your benefits first and tell you what we find.
How fees workWhat to bring
Your glasses, your contact lenses and their boxes, a list of the medicines and drops you use, and your insurance and vision plan cards.
Who sees you
Dr. Wafa Abdallah leads the evaluation, with an ophthalmic assistant who runs the first tests.
About Dr. Abdallah
Questions
About the evaluation
Do I need to stop wearing my contact lenses first?
Wear your glasses to the visit if you can, and bring your lenses. If you have to wear lenses, tell us when you check in.
Will the tests change how I see afterward?
A drop of dye can leave your vision slightly blurry or yellow-tinted for a few minutes.
What if the tests find another problem?
Your doctor explains it and, where it needs another kind of eye doctor, refers you and sends your records.
Book a dry eye evaluation
Pick a time in our booking system, or call and we will find one with you.