Increased tear osmolarity (salt concentration) causes eye surface inflammation

New research confirms elevated tear osmolarity (increased salt in the tears) causes dry-eye surface disease. In an article published this month in Eye & Contact Lens Luo, Li, Corrales and Pflugfelder demonstrate that ocular surface inflammation in dry eye is caused by elevated tear film osmolarity. Click HERE to read this important article.

Some had believed that there was a direct inflammatory attack on the eye surface independent of the decrease in tear production or increase in tear film evaporation that is characteristic of dry-eye disease. We now know this is untrue.

I had the opportunity to write an editorial on this paper that highlights the important treatment ramifications of this research. Click HERE to read this editorial.

Dry Eye Blog

Welcome to the first dry eye blog on the web. My research on dry eye began as a medical student in 1976 and I have been productively obsessed with the subject, to the benefit of dry eye patients, ever since. I also maintain an educational web site at www.dryeyeinfo.org. I hope patients and doctors find this blog a useful way to keep up to date on the latest thoughts, news, research and information on dry eye.

Jeffrey P. Gilbard, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Director of the Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease Clinic,
New England Eye Center
Founder, CEO & Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Vision Research
Inventor of TheraTears (www.theratears.com)