Investigation and treatment of dry eyes.

Dry Eye Diagnosis & Assessment

Understanding the cause of your dry eye

Dry eye is a complex condition that can be caused by:

  • Poor tear quality

  • Reduced tear volume

  • Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)

  • Underlying inflammation of the ocular surface

At The Eyesmith, we offer two levels of assessment, depending on the depth of investigation required.

Standard Dry Eye Assessment – £125

A focused clinical assessment using slit lamp examination and key diagnostic tests.

Includes:

  • Tear Break-Up Time (TBUT) – assessing tear stability

  • Ocular surface examination

  • Lid margin and gland assessment

  • Basic tear film evaluation

This assessment is suitable for:

  • Mild to moderate symptoms

  • First-time dry eye concerns

  • Patients wanting an initial diagnosis and treatment plan

Advanced Dry Eye Clinic – £250

Duration: 60 minutes

Our most comprehensive assessment, designed to identify not just the type of dry eye — but the underlying drivers, including inflammation.

Building on our standard testing, this includes:

🔬 Advanced Diagnostics

  • Meibography (infrared imaging of gland structure)

  • Tear film analysis (TMH, TBUT, lipid layer)

  • Ocular surface staining (cellular damage assessment)

  • Detailed eyelid and blink analysis

These tests allow us to accurately determine whether your dry eye is due to tear instability, gland dysfunction, or reduced tear production.

🧪 Inflammatory Biomarker Testing (i-ImmunDx)

Dry eye is often driven by inflammation, which cannot always be seen with standard examination alone.

We now measure specific inflammatory markers within your tear film, giving us a deeper understanding of your condition.

What this means for you:

  • Detects hidden inflammation on the eye surface

  • Helps explain why symptoms persist despite using drops

  • Allows targeted, personalised treatment selection

  • Enables us to monitor how well treatment is working over time

Biomarker testing moves dry eye care from:
→ symptom-based treatment
to
→ evidence-based, personalised care

💡 Why inflammation matters

Inflammation is a key driver of many forms of dry eye and can lead to:

  • Ongoing irritation and discomfort

  • Damage to the ocular surface

  • Poor response to standard treatments

By identifying this early, we can treat the root cause, not just the symptoms.

What happens after your assessment?

Following your results, we create a personalised treatment plan, which may include:

  • IPL therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction

  • Meibomian gland expression

  • Medical eye drops (if required)

  • QMR (Rexon-Eye) therapy for inflammation and tissue repair

🔬 QMR (Rexon-Eye) Therapy

QMR (Quantum Molecular Resonance) is an advanced treatment designed to:

  • Support cellular repair on the ocular surface

  • Reduce inflammation at a deeper level

  • Improve tear film function

  • Treat a broader range of dry eye types (not just MGD)

This makes it particularly valuable in patients where inflammation is a key component — as identified through biomarker testing.

Our Approach

Most dry eye treatments focus on one aspect of the condition.

At The Eyesmith, we combine:

  • Structural assessment (glands & tear film)

  • Functional testing (tear stability & volume)

  • Inflammatory analysis (biomarkers)

This allows us to deliver more accurate diagnoses and more effective treatment plans.

Which assessment should I choose?

Choose Standard Assessment (£125) if:

  • Your symptoms are mild or recent

  • You want an initial diagnosis

Choose Advanced Assessment (£250) if:

  • Symptoms are persistent or complex

  • Previous treatments haven’t worked

  • You want the most detailed understanding of your condition

  • You are considering advanced treatments (IPL / QMR)

Next Step

Book your assessment and take the first step towards understanding and treating your dry eye properly.

Example dry eye report

Dry eye assessment.

The cost of a full dry eye assessment at the eyesmith is £125.

This assessment includes a detailed history and series of tests to enable us to produce an AI-assisted report. The following will be assessed:

  • Meibomography - infra-red meibomian glands imaging analysis, to look for gland survival

  • Meibomian gland opening analysis - HD eyelid imaging, looking at capping

  • Ocular redness analysis - HD eye surface image, automatically recognises blood vessels v. ocular redness, as a sign of inflammation

  • Corneal staining analysis - fluorescein corneal stain image relates to corneal damage

  • Tear scope - lipid tear layer analysis

  • Tear meniscus height - assessing volume of tear layer

  • Non-invasive Tear Break Up Time (NITBUT) - assessment of how long tears protect the corneal surface

  • Exploratory gland expression - considers gland viability and potential to improve

Ultimately, this assessment should enable us to establish a diagnosis and treatment plan - and provide relief.