What is Ocular Surface Disease?
Ocular surface disease is a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface.
This general term is used to describe a range of conditions that affect the surface of the eye:
- Dry eye disease (DED)—Reduction in the volume and quality of tears
- Blepharitis—Inflammatory condition of the eyelids
- Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)—Reduced oil production leading to tear evaporation from the surface of the eye
Why is tear film important?
The surface of our eyes is coated with a thin layer of tears, called the tear film, which washes, protects, nourishes and lubricates the eye. Blinking smooths the tear film evenly across the surface of the eye and stimulates the glands to produce more tears.