Tear Film Structure: Complete Guide for Contact Lens Fitting

The tear film is ridiculously thin—we're talking 3-5 microns total, about 1/10th the thickness of a human hair. Yet this microscopic layer is responsible for optical clarity, corneal nutrition, lubrication, infection defense, and contact lens success. When it breaks down, your patient's lenses become uncomfortable, vision blurs, and you're troubleshooting dry eye complaints.

The NCLE knows how critical tear film is for contact lens wear. They'll test you on the three layers, where each comes from, what tear break-up time means, and how contact lenses disrupt normal tear film physiology. You'll see 25+ questions about dry eye, TBUT measurement, meibomian gland dysfunction, and why some patients can't tolerate contact lenses no matter how well you fit them.

In this guide, you'll learn the three layers of the tear film and their sources, how to measure and interpret tear break-up time (TBUT), understand tear production and drainage, recognize signs of dry eye with contact lenses, and connect tear film problems to lens selection. By the end, you'll know exactly why that patient who complains of "dry lenses at 4pm" needs a different approach.

The tear film is a thin layer of fluid covering the cornea and conjunctiva. Total thickness? About 3-5 microns (that's 0.003-0.005 millimeters). It's one of the thinnest biological films in the body, yet it performs multiple critical functions.

Key functions of the tear film:

• Optical: Creates a smooth refractive surface. Without tears, the corneal epithelium would be irregular and vision would be blurry.
• Protective: Acts as a barrier against microbes, allergens, and foreign material.
• Nutritive: Delivers oxygen, glucose, and proteins to the avascular cornea.
• Lubricating: Reduces friction between the eyelid and ocular surface with each blink.
• Cleansing: Removes debris, dead cells, and metabolic waste products.

For contact lens wearers, the tear film becomes even more important. The lens splits the tear film into two layers: the pre-lens tear film (between the lens and air) and the post-lens tear film (between the lens and cornea). Both must function properly for comfortable, healthy lens wear.

The tear film has three distinct layers, each with a specific source and function. From outermost (facing the air) to innermost (touching the cornea):

Thickness: About 0.1 microns (thinnest layer)
Source: Meibomian glands (tarsal glands in the eyelids)

The lipid layer is an oily film produced by 25-40 meibomian glands located in the upper and lower eyelids. These glands secrete a mixture of oils and waxes (lipids) that spread across the tear film surface with each blink.

Functions:

• Prevents tear evaporation—the primary function. Without this lipid layer, tears would evaporate 10-20 times faster.
• Provides a smooth optical surface
• Reduces surface tension, allowing tears to spread evenly
• Prevents tear overflow onto the cheeks by containing tears within the lid margins

Clinical problems: Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the most common cause of dry eye. When meibomian glands become clogged or don't secrete enough lipid, the lipid layer is deficient. This causes evaporative dry eye—tears evaporate too quickly, leaving the cornea dry between blinks.

MGD is extremely common in contact lens wearers. Symptoms include end-of-day dryness, lens awareness, and reduced wearing time. Treatment includes warm compresses, lid hygiene, and sometimes lipid-based artificial tears.

Thickness: About 3-4 microns (~90% of total tear film)
Source: Lacrimal gland (main and accessory glands)

The aqueous layer is the bulk of the tear film. It's produced by the main lacrimal gland (located in the superotemporal orbit) and the accessory lacrimal glands of Krause and Wolfring (in the conjunctiva).

Composition:

• Water (98%)—the primary component
• Salts—maintains osmolarity (~300 mOsm/kg)
• Proteins—including lysozyme, lactoferrin, lipocalin
• Glucose—provides energy to the cornea
• Immunoglobulins (IgA)—provide immune defense
• Growth factors—support corneal health

Functions:

• Delivers oxygen to the avascular cornea (dissolved O₂)
• Provides nutrients (glucose, amino acids)
• Removes metabolic waste products (CO₂, lactate)
• Antibacterial protection (lysozyme destroys bacterial cell walls; lactoferrin binds iron needed by bacteria)
• Immune defense (IgA antibodies)

Clinical problems: Aqueous deficiency dry eye occurs when the lacrimal glands don't produce enough tears. This can be caused by:

• Sjögren's syndrome—autoimmune disease that attacks lacrimal glands
• Aging—tear production naturally decreases with age
• Certain medications (antihistamines, antidepressants, birth control)
• Environmental factors (low humidity, wind, air conditioning)

Aqueous deficiency causes overall tear volume reduction. Contact lens tolerance is poor because there's simply not enough tear volume to support the lens. Treatment includes preservative-free artificial tears, punctal plugs, and sometimes cyclosporine drops.

Thickness: About 0.02-0.05 microns (extremely thin)
Source: Goblet cells in the conjunctiva

The mucin layer is produced by goblet cells scattered throughout the conjunctiva (most concentrated in the fornices and plica). Mucin is a glycoprotein—a combination of protein and carbohydrate chains.

Functions:

• Makes the hydrophobic corneal epithelium wettable—this is the critical function. Without mucin, the watery aqueous layer would bead up and roll off the cornea.
• Anchors the tear film to the corneal surface
• Traps debris, bacteria, and dead cells for removal
• Smooths out minor irregularities in the epithelial surface

Clinical problems: Goblet cell deficiency can occur with:

• Chronic contact lens wear (especially with preserved solutions)
• Vitamin A deficiency
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome
• Chemical burns

When mucin is deficient, tears don't adhere well to the cornea. The tear film becomes unstable and breaks up rapidly, causing dry spots. Contact lenses exacerbate this—lenses require a stable tear film to remain comfortable.

Tear break-up time (TBUT) is the interval between a complete blink and the first appearance of a dry spot on the cornea. It's the gold standard test for assessing tear film stability.

How to Measure TBUT

1. Instill a small amount of fluorescein dye into the patient's eye
2. Ask the patient to blink several times to distribute the dye
3. Ask the patient to hold their eyes open (no blinking)
4. Illuminate with cobalt blue light and watch the tear film using a slit lamp
5. Start timing from the last complete blink
6. Stop timing when you see the first dry spot (dark area where fluorescein breaks up)

Interpreting TBUT

TBUT and Contact Lenses

Contact lenses reduce TBUT. Why? The lens surface is less wettable than the natural corneal surface, and the pre-lens tear film is thinner and less stable than normal tears. A patient with normal TBUT (>10 seconds) without lenses might have reduced TBUT (7-8 seconds) with lenses.

This is why baseline tear film assessment is critical. A patient with marginal TBUT (8 seconds) might drop to 4-5 seconds with lenses—recipe for discomfort, dryness, and poor lens tolerance.

Tear Production

The lacrimal gland produces tears at two rates:

• Basal secretion: 1-2 microliters per minute—this is the continuous, steady production of tears to maintain the tear film.
• Reflex tearing: Up to 100 microliters per minute—triggered by irritation, emotion, or foreign bodies. This is why patients tear up when you instill drops or fit a contact lens.

Total daily production: About 1-2 milliliters per day under normal conditions (more if crying or irritated).

Tear Drainage

Tears are eliminated through two pathways:

1. Nasolacrimal drainage (80%)—the primary route. Tears flow to the medial canthus, enter the puncta (one in upper lid, one in lower lid), travel through the canaliculi, collect in the lacrimal sac, and drain through the nasolacrimal duct into the nose. This is why you sometimes taste eye drops.
2. Evaporation (20%)—tears evaporate from the ocular surface, especially in low humidity or with air conditioning/wind.

How Contact Lenses Affect Tear Dynamics

Contact lenses interfere with normal tear production and drainage:

• Increased evaporation—the lens surface increases evaporative surface area, and lenses can disrupt the lipid layer.
• Reduced tear exchange—soft lenses limit tear circulation behind the lens. Only 5-10% of the tear volume exchanges with each blink (compared to nearly 100% without lenses).
• Mechanical disruption—lens edges can physically disrupt tear film spreading.
• Reduced corneal sensitivity—chronic lens wear decreases corneal sensitivity, which reduces reflex tearing.

Dry eye is one of the leading causes of contact lens dropout. Understanding the two main types and how to manage them is essential for NCLE success.

Two Types of Dry Eye

Contact Lens-Induced Dry Eye (CLIDE)

Many patients develop dry eye specifically from contact lens wear, even if they had normal tears before. This is called contact lens-induced dry eye (CLIDE).

Mechanism:

• Lenses disrupt the lipid layer, increasing evaporation
• Lenses reduce tear volume and circulation
• Chronic lens wear can damage meibomian glands
• Lens deposits can irritate the ocular surface, reducing tear quality

Signs and Symptoms:

Management of CLIDE

If a patient develops dry eye from contact lenses:

1. Switch to daily disposables—fresh lenses daily eliminate deposit buildup and reduce irritation. This is often the single most effective intervention.
2. Use preservative-free rewetting drops—artificial tears throughout the day can supplement tear volume. Avoid preserved drops (preservatives can irritate).
3. Reduce wearing time—if patient wears lenses 14 hours, drop to 8-10 hours to give eyes a break.
4. Treat meibomian gland dysfunction—warm compresses twice daily, lid hygiene, omega-3 supplements.
5. Consider scleral lenses—these vault the cornea entirely and create a fluid reservoir. Excellent for severe dry eye.
6. Try different lens materials—some patients do better with silicone hydrogel, others with conventional hydrogel. Material matters.