Traditionally, diagnosing ocular disorders relies on two components: self-reported symptoms and clinical examination. When visiting an eyecare practitioner, you may be asked to describe your symptoms. To examine for clinical signs, or physical indicators, some common tests include

• Comprehensive eye exam, including a complete history of your overall health and your eye health.
• Fluorescence staining
• Schirmer’s test
• Tear break-up time (TBUT)

Common symptoms of ocular disorders include itchiness, redness, inflammation, and foreign body sensation of the eyes. However, although you may be experiencing any number of these symptoms, your physician may still have trouble diagnosing your condition.

A major challenge to diagnosis is that many ocular disorders are multi-factorial, meaning that different disorders can result in identical symptoms yet nonetheless their own specific treatments. Two common ocular disorders are dry eye disease and allergic conjunctivitis (also known as ocular allergy). These diseases can both cause redness, itchiness, and inflammation of the ocular surface, and some people may even have them at the same time. Due to their overlapping symptoms, it may be difficult for your physician to differentiate the two using the existing diagnostics, because of their dependence on symptoms and clinical signs for assessment. Moreover, ocular disorders frequently have a discrepancy between symptoms and signs. Some people have severe symptoms, yet display no signs of damage, while others may show signs but experience no symptoms at all. This discordance serves as a major hurdle to getting a timely and accurate diagnosis.

Additional challenges are due to the lack of standardization among many diagnostic tests and overreliance on subjective symptoms. Some of the existing tests are also overly invasive, making them uncomfortable to experience, and can be influenced by external factors. Overall, the traditional diagnostic approach for ocular disorders is limited by a variety of factors. More advanced tests are greatly needed to help improve diagnosis and better serve your eye health.

Like the current diagnostic tools available, most treatments for ocular disorders are centered around the symptoms and signs of the disorder. Most treatment therapies currently available are effective for reducing symptoms. A common treatment for dry eye is artificial tears, which help to lubricate the eye in lieu of natural tear production. However, although this may provide temporary relief, the underlying causes of your disorder remain untreated. This prevents the full recovery of your eyes to a healthy state and leaves you vulnerable to further complications in the future.

Another barrier to effective treatment is that some ocular disorders, such as dry eye, can be divided into smaller subtypes, for example the Aqueous Tear-Deficient subtype and the Evaporative subtype. Subtypes are distinguished based on the underlying causes of your condition and often require different treatment methods. Therefore, if your physician is unable to identify the subtype of your disease, they may provide a treatment plan that is not suited for your specific condition.

The most effective treatments for ocular disorders are selected based on a clear understanding of the source of your condition in order to treat the condition at its root. Without the tools to identify, and thus, address the underlying causes of your disorder, effectively treating and restoring your eyes to a healthy state remains a challenge.