Keeping tears from evaporating
Oil released by the eyelid glands forms the tear film’s outer layer. When the oil changes, tears can evaporate too quickly.
Meibomian gland dysfunctionLA's first dry eye specialty practice
Dry eye care,
in focus.
Burning eyes. Blurry screens. Tears on a windy walk. Our Westwood doctors look for the cause and build a treatment plan around your eyes.
Westwood Village, Los Angeles
The tear film
What happens between blinks?
Compare a complete blink with an incomplete one to see how far the oil spreads.
Left eye · Front view
Lacrimal gland
Meibomian glands
Less even coverage
Cornea in section
Air at leftSurface detail
Select a layer to locate it in the detail.
Slow motion
The eye at rest.Follow blue for watery tears and gold for oil.
Symptoms & conditions
What brings
you in?
Start with what you feel. The exam can help explain why it happens.
View all conditionsBurning or grittiness
If your eyes feel sandy by afternoon, both tear evaporation and low tear volume are worth exploring. When you notice the discomfort can help your doctor narrow the possibilities.
Watering or irritation
An irritated eye can produce extra tears. Your doctor can check the eye surface, lids and tear drainage to learn why the watering keeps returning.
Vision that clears with a blink
Blurry text that sharpens for a moment after blinking can be a clue about tear-film stability. At an evaluation we can measure how quickly the tears break up.
Crusting or itchy lids
Lash-line itching and crusting can come from several kinds of lid inflammation. Magnification helps your doctor tell ordinary flakes from the collars associated with Demodex.
At Village Eyes Optometry
Find us in Westwood.
Our dry eye clinic is on Gayley Avenue, across from Whole Foods and a short walk from UCLA. Allow about an hour for your first evaluation.