Dry Eye is a long-term chronic disease that takes years to develop – and may worsen if left untreated. More than 100 million people have Dry Eye. There are two main forms of the disease: evaporative and aqueous deficient.
Evaporative Dry Eye, which accounts for 86%1 of all dry eye cases, is caused by blockages in the Meibomian glands located in your eyelids.
This condition of obstructed glands is known as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. These glands are responsible for creating the lipid (oil) layer of tears. When the glands aren't working as they should, you don't have enough tear film oil. And your tears - which lubricate your eyes and keep them comfortable – evaporate too quickly. An insufficient oil layer can cause your tears to evaporate 4x-16x faster.
Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye occurs when the lacrimal glands do not create a sufficient amount of aqueous (water) to keep the eyes moist.
1—Lemp MA, et al. Distribution of aqueous deficient and evaporative dry eye in a clinical-based patient population. Cornea. In press.