Tear device (lat. organa lacrimalia ) consists of the lacrimal glands located in the outer upper part of the orbit (they produce tears), and the drainage channels responsible for the drainage of tears into the nose.
Tears produced in the lacrimal glands move towards the inner corner of the eye (the part of the eye closer to the nose) by blinking, moistening and cleaning the eye. At the very edge of the upper and lower eyelids, 2 mm from the corner, there are teardrops ( lat. puncta lacrimalia ), that is, openings through which tears enter the lacrimal ducts (lat. canaliculi lacrimalis ). Suzni kanalići iz gornje i donje vjeđe spajaju se na otprilike 1 cm u smjeru nosa u suznu vrećicu ( lat. saccus lacrimalis ) from which, in the downward direction of the nose, leaves only one channel that leads the tears into the nose (lat. ductus nasolacrimalis ).
We distinguish between two forms of disorder:
Dry eye
With age, the production of tears decreases physiologically, so the comfort decreases with a feeling of dryness, burning, but it can also be a consequence of illness. Dry eye is treated with the local application of artificial tears and treatment of the possible presence of the disease.
Moist eye
Increased lacrimation is mainly a symptom of some disease (not necessarily an eye injury), either of the conjunctiva or eyeball, irritation, anomalies in the position or innervation of the eyelids, and changes in the draining lacrimal apparatus.
We examine tear secretion disorder:
- Schirmer’s test 1
- Schirmer’s test 2
- By measuring tear film stability (BUT)
Autor:
bc. Livio Svržnjak, optometrist
