Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye among patients of a tertiary care centre in eastern india

AIM: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of dry eye among patients of a tertiary care centre in eastern India. Symptoms of dry eye are encountered as one of the most frequent complains among the patients attending the outpatient department in ophthalmology commonly presenting as ocular discomfort, burning sensation and foreign body sensation.Prevalence of this entity is still not known in our study population due to lack of specificity of symptoms and diagnostic criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending ophthalmology OPD in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Bihar. 4116 (16.64%) patients with dry eye symptoms were examined after taking informed consent. RESULTS: 1620 (6.55%) patients were found to have dry eye based on McMonnies questionnaire, Schirmer's test and tear film breakup time.There were 1180 female and 440 male with dry eye.Male to female ratio was 2.7:1.Non-tribals were affected more commonly than tribals. Students, outdoor workers and office worker with professional constituted over fifty percent of dry eye cases. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of dry eye was more in females and elderly as compared to male and younger population respectively.Burning sensation and ocular discomfort was the most common presenting complains.