To the layperson, dry eye disease (DED), technically xerophthalmia, often is dismissed as an innocuous nuisance that can be treated with over-the-counter eye drops. But Anat Galor, an ophthalmologist in Miami and clinical expert with the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), said the disease name "is a little bit of a misnomer" for a chronic indication that encompasses a variety of symptoms and can have serious consequences for patients. The multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface can result not only in burning and aching but also in visual disturbances and tear film instability that have the potential to damage the ocular surface.