The most common cause of dry eye syndrome is meibomian gland dysfunction, or MGD.  MGD may account for as much as 85% of dry eye.  MGD is also known as meibomitis or meibomianitis.

Symptoms of meibomian gland dysfunction are the same as dry eye and include:  dryness, burning, crustiness, redness, blurry vision, itching and others.

What are Meibomian Glands?

The meibomian glands are located in your eyelids.  There are about 30-40 glands in each upper eyelid and fewer in the lower lids.

The glands secrete an oily substance called meibom.  There are 3 layers or components to our natural tears.  The oily layer prevents rapid evaporation from the corneal surface.

The 3 layers or components of our natural tears are;

1. Oil or Lipid (superficial or outer film of the tears)
2. Water (the actual tears)
3. Mucin (coats the eye to allow tears to spread evenly)

Meibomian Glands and the Tear Film from TearScience on Vimeo.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Meibomian gland dysfunction is diagnosed whenever the glands can not normally secrete their oils into the tears.  This can be due to blockage or the glands or some other abnormality preventing secretion.

MGD often occurs when the meibom (oily secretion) becomes too thick, thus blocking the entire gland.  There are other conditions where there is simply not enough meibom (oil) produced or of poor quality.

Diagnosis of MGD

The diagnosis of meibomian gland dysfunction involves a careful and thorough history of your symptoms and a medical history followed by an examination.

There are characteristic changes we can detect on your lids and manual expression of the oils can give clues as to the quality of the oily secretions.  If your meibom is too thick, we might not be too successful in expressing the oils.

The Eye Associates of Washington, D.C. also have the latest diagnostic tools for the diagnosis and treatment MGD.  Lipiscan allows us to directly visualize and examine the health of your meibomian glands.

Diagnosis can be made quickly and easily in our office.  The goal of successful treatment of your dry eye syndrome is to treat the underlying cause.

Set up an appointment to test for MGD?  Please call us (202.686.6700) or email us!

We look forward to meeting you.

The Doctors of Eye Associates of Washington, D.C.
Serving Washington, D.C. and Tysons Corner
Board Certified Eye Physicians and Surgeons