Assessment
Questionnaire
Have a symptom?
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Dry eye. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.
It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.
Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:
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Why: to establish if acute or chronic.
Why: Unilateral dry eye may suggest foreign body, facial nerve (7th nerve) palsy, Bell's palsy or Herpes zoster oticus.
Why: elderly people often complain of a chronic gritty sensation due to reduced tear secretion with age.
Why: e.g. wearing contact lenses, excessive reading, excessive computer usage, windy conditions, dry weather conditions, air travel (because the air in planes is dry), air-conditioning (air conditioners remove moisture from the air) and home heating.
Why: may suggest presence of foreign body.
Why: may suggest inadequate intake of fluid and dehydration as cause of dry eyes e.g. poor fluid intake due to illness, anorexia, malnutrition or neglect.
Why: may cause dry eyes.
Why: e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus; primary biliary cirrhosis; diabetes; Vitamin A deficiency and dry eyes may occur in people with liver disease, intestinal sprue, after intestinal bypass and if receiving total parenteral nutrition.
Why: e.g. antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, beta blockers, oral contraceptive medications and isotretinoin for severe acne may cause a dry eyes.
Why: e.g. dietary deficiency of Vitamin A often due to failure to incorporate green leafy vegetables into the diet usually exclusively in developing countries may cause night blindness and dry eyes.
Why: e.g. marijuana may cause dry eyes.
Why: e.g. dry eyes, dryness of the mouth, skin or vagina. This syndrome may be associated with many systemic conditions such as Raynaud's phenomenon, difficulty in swallowing (as seen in systemic sclerosis), painful joints (like that seen with systemic lupus erythematosus), thyroid disease, myasthenia gravis, primary biliary cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis, renal diabetes insipidus, renal tubular acidosis and vasculitis.
Why: e.g. joint pain, swelling, deformity and morning stiffness. It may also cause a number of systemic symptoms including carpal tunnel syndrome, anemia and enlarged spleen. 15% of people with Rheumatoid arthritis have a secondary Sjogren's syndrome which comprises dry eyes and dry mouth.
Why: e.g. palpitations, hot flushes, night sweats, lightheadedness, dry skin, dry vagina, mood change. - may also experience dry eyes which is thought to be due to estrogen withdrawal.
Why: e.g. marked weakness on one side of the face, mouth sags, drooling from the affected side of mouth, loss of taste on front of tongue, eye may water, pain behind the ear, incomplete closure of the eye and resultant dry eye.
Why: e.g. preference for cooler weather, increased appetite, heart palpitations, increased sweating, nervousness, irritability, diarrhea, lack of menstrual periods and proptosis (forward displacement of the eyeball) with resultant dry eyes.
Why: e.g. itchy skin, jaundiced (yellowing) skin.
Why: e.g. thirst, postural dizziness, fainting and reduced urine output - may cause dry eyes.
Why: e.g. vomiting, diarrhea, fever, excessive urination, extensive exfoliation of skin.
Why: may suggest Lupus erythematosus (which may be associated with Sjogren's syndrome).
Why: e.g. sequential discoloration of the digits from pallor to blueness to redness upon exposure to cold. When fingers become red they are painful. Raynaud's phenomenon may be associated with Sjogren's syndrome.
Why: may suggest blepharitis as cause of the eye dryness.
The following list of conditions have 'Dry eye' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Dry eye or choose View All.
The following list of medical conditions have 'Dry eye'
or similar listed as a medical complication in our database.
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Copyright © 2011 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved. Last Update: 1 February, 2012 (3:53)
