Essential fatty acids for dry eye

Patients presenting to an eye care professional commonly complain of symptoms related to dry eye syndrome (DES), a multi-factorial condition causing instability of the tear film which can potentially result in ocular discomfort and reduced visual function.1 It is estimated that up to a quarter of individuals seen in an optometric clinical setting report symptoms associated with dry eyes, a statistic which doubles when you survey patients who wear contact lenses.2 The increased frequency of DES in contact lens wearers is related to the fact that a contact lens on the anterior surface of the eye has the tendency to decrease the thickness of the tear film lipid layer, which subsequently leads to increased tear evaporation.3