our community

We’re hurting.

In pain. Confused. Frustrated. Isolated. Most of all, fearful. 

We struggle, often for years, to find skilled doctors, to get a diagnosis we’re confident of, and most of all to get treatments that relieve our symptoms.

And we worry.

We worry about our work productivity, our ability to continue working or return to work.

We worry about the future, especially if this truly is the “chronic and progressive” disease it’s often described as.

We worry about money for all the treatments that insurance doesn’t cover.

We worry about the toll this is taking on our relationships.

Sometimes a sensation of mounting losses grows, with no hope in sight..

Depression, anxiety, even suicidal ideation are a shockingly routine part of the ocular surface pain experience.

The profound emotional impact of ocular surface disease and ocular surface pain, and the reasons for it, are why our top priority at the Dry Eye Foundation has always been ensuring people have the support lifeline they need when they are struggling.

Wait! How could something so trivial-sounding (“dry eye”) be this bad?

It’s bewildering for those who experience it.

And sometimes incomprehensible to those who don’t.

That’s why we want to help our community tell its story.

“Dry Eye Disease and Me” is an in-depth survey we ran soon after starting the Foundation. Browse the results to learn more about our community’s experiences.

A 5-minute video

This video was prepared on request for an ophthalmology conference, and we have been sharing it more broadly with the community to help people understand the life impact of ocular surface pain.