The tears in our eyes consist of three distinct layers. The mucin layer is the closest to the eyeball surface. The majority of the tears is the second watery later called aqueous. The outermost layer is composed of an oily lipid material. If any layer of the tear film becomes deficient, symptoms of dry eye will present.
Treatment will differ depending on which layer of the tear film is deficient. Often times, there are more than one layer of the tear film that is deficient. This can be determined by your eye doctor during the dry eye workup.
