Testing That Guides Your Plan
Find the Cause
Dry Eye Evaluation in Centennial
A dry eye evaluation at Hamilton Vision Center finds out why your eyes feel dry, gritty, burning, watery, or tired. During a focused visit with your eye doctor, we measure your tears and the oil glands in your eyelids, then use that picture to build your plan. Relief starts with knowing the cause.
What Happens During a Dry Eye Evaluation
A dry eye evaluation is a focused look at your tear film and the surface of your eye, and it usually takes about 30 minutes. We start by talking through your symptoms, whether that is burning, stinging, watering, blurry vision that clears when you blink, light sensitivity, or eye fatigue by the end of the day. From there, we look at what your tears are actually doing, because dry eye is often more than a lack of water, and most patients have more than one cause.
Tear Film and Meibomian Gland Testing
Using the Oculus Keratograph, we image your tear film and the oil glands (meibomian glands) along your eyelids. The scan shows how fast your tears evaporate and whether those glands are blocked or damaged.
This gland imaging, called meibography, is the part of an eye exam most offices skip, and it is often where chronic dry eye begins.
What Our Eye Doctors Measure in Your Evaluation
- Tear quality and how fast your tears break down
- Oil gland (meibomian gland) structure, using gland imaging
- Blink pattern and eyelid health
- Signs of blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), ocular rosacea, and surface disease
- How your symptoms match what we see on imaging
Why You Need a Special Dry Eye Evaluation
Guessing at dry eye treatment wastes time and money. Two patients with the same symptoms can have very different causes, and most people have more than one, so the right treatment depends on your mix.
A physician-led evaluation tells us whether the problem is your oil glands, tear volume, inflammation, or a combination. That is how we match the treatment to the cause.
Technology You Can See on Screen
During your evaluation, you see your own tear film and gland images on the screen with your eye doctor. When you understand what is happening on the surface of your eye, the plan makes sense.
Once we know the cause, we walk you through the options, from prescription eye drops and punctal plugs to in-office treatments.
Book Your Dry Eye Evaluation in Centennial
If your eyes feel dry, gritty, or tired, start with an evaluation. We care for patients across Centennial, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, Cherry Creek, the Denver Tech Center, and Highlands Ranch.
Planning your visit? Start with an eye exam, and see our hours and location for directions and hours.