Dry Eye Syndrome
By Dr Tomislav Meštrović, MD, PhD
Tears are essential to keep eyes healthy and to provide good vision. As there are no blood vessels in the cornea, basal tears are responsible to nourish and keep the cornea wet. The liquid film washes the bacteria in the eye and the antibiotic proteins kill the bacteria.
Whenever the eyes are opened, the tear film supplies the oxygen and the thin liquid layer spreads across the cornea, creates a good eye surface and performs this activity each time the eye blinks. The friction caused due to the eye movement is limited as the basal tears act as a lubricant. While tears perform such a complex role, when the production and drainage of tears is not balanced, it could lead to a medical condition known as the dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca).
http://www.news-medical.net/health/Dry-Eye-Syndrome.aspx
