Dry Eye Disease: The Undervalued Impact on Quality of Life

Abstract

Dry eye disease (DED) is one of most common ocular disease and reason for primary eye care visit worldwide. DED has gone through major evolutions over the past couple of decades. As stated in the latest DEWS II report in 2017, the definition of DED is now "a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, and accompanied by ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities play etiological roles" [1].Prevalence of DED based on symptoms ranged from 14.5% to 39.2% in various countries [2][3][4][5]. This may still be an underestimated number as there are many who have symptoms but do not seek medical care. However, the reason behind the general increase in dry eye remains a question as it is not completely known if there is a true increase in prevalence or improved sensitivity to diagnosis.Lifestyle changes which include increasing screen time activities, diets poor in omega-3 fatty acids, and increased number of refractive treatments (contact lens wear, laser vision correction and cataract surgery) may play a role [6]. Moreover, recognition of autoimmune diseases which are associated with DED such as Sjogren disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disease may lead to improved diagnosis and management.Dry eye complaints are frequently encountered by all ophthalmologists. Symptoms and signs of DED can be one of the most common causes of patient dissatisfaction during medical visits.6 Generally, patients with DED may experience ocular discomfort including pain, burning sensation, foreign body sensation, grittiness, and tearing. Others may complain of dryness, ocular fatigue, and sometimes redness [7,8].Visual disturbance is also a common symptom reported by patients with this disease. People with DED often report visual disruption such as glare, fluctuating and foggy vision; often despite normal visual acuity. Reduction in visual function can be measured by several methods including questionnaires, contrast sensitivity tests, functional visual acuity (FVA) tests, and measurement of higher-order optical aberrations (HOA) [9]. The symptoms of visual disturbance may vary from mild to severe degree which can affect daily activities including physical, social, psychological functioning, and workplace productivity [9][10][11][12].Consequently, DED has become a growing public health concern that interferes with many different aspects of quality of life. DED is associated with adverse impact on several common and important tasks of daily living, emotional well-being, and the ability to work [13,14]. The impairment of vision-related quality

Proportion of Physiotherapy Students Having Dry Eye Disease During Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Visual disturbance is also a common symptom seen in patients with DED. It affects the quality of life (QoL) and visual performance in 11,12 patients. Studies reported that DED has an impact on a patient's QoL such as ability to perform certain activities that require continuous visual attention like reading and driving.…”

Facemask Associated Dry Eyes among Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

“…prevalent ocular surface diseases in the world. In epidemiological studies performed globally, DED prevalence ranged from 5 to 64% (Noor, 2018;Shanti et al, 2020;Uchino & Schaumberg, 2013). DEDs prevalence in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, was found to be 32.1% (Alshammari et al, 2021).…”