A complaint of irritated eyes can often be perplexing, to say the least. We have a number of technological advances to help us differentiate among the numerous etiologies of ocular irritation. Many of us also have technicians taking preliminary histories to improve our office efficiency. That said, is the use of communication to decipher the etiology of a patient’s irritated eyes a lost art?

Technological advances help us better care for our patients, but only when used in the proper context. We still must hear our patients’ complaints and utilize that information to help narrow down the differential diagnosis and improve outcomes. In this article, we discuss the two conditions that cause ocular discomfort that are most commonly encountered in clinical practice: allergy and dry eye disease (DED).

Read more at: http://eyetubeod.com/2015/03/you-may-be-listening-but-are-you-hearing-what-your-patients-are-saying#sthash.Xz5hwQKY.dpuf