The Correlation between Daily Lens Wear Duration and Dry Eye Syndrome

Topical Omega-3 Fatty Acids Eyedrops in the Treatment of Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease: A Systematic Review

Dry eye is a common inflammatory condition of the ocular surface. While oral omega-3 supplementation for its treatment has been extensively studied, recent large-scale studies have cast doubt on their efficacy. However, efficacy of topical omega-3 has yet to be reviewed. We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for all studies evaluating topical omega-3 in dry eye. Five human and five animal studies were included. Of the five human studies, two were on dry eye disease (DED), one was on contact lens discomfort, and two were on patients undergoing corneal collagen crosslinking. In humans, there is promising evidence for improved ocular surface staining and tear break-up time compared to controls, equivocal evidence for improvements to ocular surface symptoms and meibomian gland dysfunction, and no effect on increasing tear production. Data from animal models largely agree with these findings, and further reveal decreased inflammatory cytokines and monocyte infiltration. Our review suggests that topical omega-3 is a promising treatment for dry eye, but also points to the paucity of evidence in this field. Further trials in humans are required to characterize effects of topical omega-3 and optimize its dosage.

Prevalence of Dry Eyes Symptoms in Association with Contact Lenses and Refractive Status in Portugal

Background: Determine whether the presence of ocular symptoms in soft-contact-lens wearers changes depending on the refractive status. Methods: During the months of January to March 2022, the CLDEQ-8 questionnaire was administered to soft-contact-lens wearers. The statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS 27.0 computer program (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: A total of 251 subjects participated in the study, with a higher percentage of myopes than hyperopes (82.1% versus 16.7%; p < 0.001). Out of all total participants, 21.5% suffered from dry-eye symptoms. It was noted that hyperopes presented a higher rate of dry-eye symptoms (p = 0.041). At the same time, the spherical equivalent was more positive in the participants with dry-eye symptoms (p = 0.014). Significant differences were found based on the symptoms present with contact lenses and the degree of myopia. The intensity of visual disturbances was higher in the participants with medium myopia (median [IQR]: 1/5 [2]) compared to those with low (median [IQR]: 0/5 [2]) and high myopia (median [IQR]: 0/5 [1]) (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Contact-lens wearers with hyperopia showed a higher rate of ocular dryness than those with myopia. In turn, wearing daily-replacement lenses could be one of the reasons for the lesser presence of ocular dryness compared to monthly-replacement lenses.

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Symptomatic Dry Eye in Nurses in Palestine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction

Working in closed wards at hospitals during night-time shifts and using electronic health records may raise the risk of dry eye disease in nurses.

Objective

The purpose of the current study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of dry eye disease among hospital nurses in the North West Bank, Palestine.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study. The study included 300 nurses who work at hospitals in the North West Bank, Palestine. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire on dry eye disease was used to estimate the prevalence of symptomatic dry eye disease.

Results

The percentage of dry eye disease prevalence among study participants was 62% with an OSDI score of >13 (mild to moderate and severe OSDI status). Nurses who wore contact lenses worked during the night-time, and worked in the intensive care unit were more likely to report significantly higher OSDI scores (p < .05). Moreover, gender, smoking, and computer use were not statistically associated with dry eye disease (p > .05).

Conclusion

Symptomatic dry eye disease is one of the most common ocular diseases among hospital nurses in Palestine.

Stratification of Individual Symptoms of Contact Lens-Associated Dry Eye Using the iPhone App DryEyeRhythm: Crowdsourced Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Discontinuation of contact lens use is mainly caused by contact lens–associated dry eye. It is crucial to delineate contact lens–associated dry eye's multifaceted nature to tailor treatment to each patient’s individual needs for future personalized medicine.

Objective

This paper aims to quantify and stratify individual subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye and clarify its risk factors for future personalized medicine using the smartphone app DryEyeRhythm (Juntendo University).

Methods

This cross-sectional study included iPhone (Apple Inc) users in Japan who downloaded DryEyeRhythm. DryEyeRhythm was used to collect medical big data related to contact lens–associated dry eye between November 2016 and January 2018. The main outcome measure was the incidence of contact lens–associated dry eye. Univariate and multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were determined by logistic regression analyses. The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding algorithm was used to depict the stratification of subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye.

Results

The records of 4454 individuals (median age 27.9 years, SD 12.6), including 2972 female participants (66.73%), who completed all surveys were included in this study. Among the included participants, 1844 (41.40%) were using contact lenses, and among those who used contact lenses, 1447 (78.47%) had contact lens–associated dry eye. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were as follows: younger age, 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99); female sex, 1.53 (95% CI 1.05-2.24); hay fever, 1.38 (95% CI 1.10-1.74); mental illness other than depression or schizophrenia, 2.51 (95% CI 1.13-5.57); past diagnosis of dry eye, 2.21 (95% CI 1.63-2.99); extended screen exposure time >8 hours, 1.61 (95% CI 1.13-2.28); and smoking, 2.07 (95% CI 1.49-2.88). The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding analysis visualized and stratified 14 groups based on the subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye.

Conclusions

This study identified and stratified individuals with contact lens–associated dry eye and its risk factors. Data on subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye could be used for prospective prevention of contact lens–associated dry eye progression.

Managing Dry Eye Disease and Facilitating Realistic Patient Expectations: A Review and Appraisal of Current Therapies

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by loss of homeostasis of the tear film and accompanied by ocular signs and symptoms such as corneal and conjunctival damage, patient discomfort, and visual disturbance. The prevalence of DED ranges from 5%−33%. Patients with DED may have a reduced quality of life due to their discomfort and visual disturbances. The multifactorial nature of DED requires a multi-targeted treatment approach to address the signs and symptoms. Treatment for DED should follow a step-wise approach beginning with education, dietary modification, and lid and lash hygiene, and progressing to pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions. Ocular lubricants, a mainstay of DED therapy, provide temporary symptomatic relief for the patient, but do not address the underlying pathophysiology. Some currently available pharmacologic treatments that address the underlying pathophysiology of DED may have a delay of 3−6 months in the onset of therapeutic effect; however, these treatment options may also have tolerability issues. These challenges highlight the need for newer pharmacologic treatments with an earlier onset of observable clinical effect and the potential for improved tolerability profile. Patient education is vital to DED management and should convey the complex and chronic nature of DED. It is important for the eye care practitioner to set realistic expectations with the patient when managing DED to help improve treatment success. This helps the patient understand the need for ongoing treatment and that results will likely not be seen immediately. This review covers the current management of DED, focusing on pharmacologic management, and offers recommendations for the practitioner to help facilitate realistic patient expectations for the treatment of DED.

Association between Frequency of Prosthesis Cleaning and the Discharge Characteristics and the Tear Film in Subjects with Anophthalmic Socket after Eviceration with Dermis Fat Graft

AIM:

To analyze the associations between frequency of prosthesis cleaning with the discharge characteristics and the tear film in subjects with anophthalmic socket post evisceration with dermis fat graft.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

This study is an analytic observational with cross sectional design study with control. The subjects of the study were unilateral acquired anophthalmic socket after evisceration with dermis fat graft at University of Sumatera Utara General Hospital which amounts to 30 subjects or 60 eyes (30 unilateral anophthalmic sockets, 30 contralateral eyes). Data was obtained from April 2018 to May 2018.

RESULT:

There is significant association between frequency of prosthesis cleaning and the frequency of discharge (P = 0.001) and tear film quantity (P = 0.024). There is also significant association between the tear film quantity and the frequency of discharge (P = 0.024).

CONCLUSION:

There was a significant association between frequency of prosthesis cleaning with the frequency of discharge and the tear film in subjects with Acquired Unilateral anophthalmic socket post-evisceration with dermis fat graft.