Hyderabad: An eight-year-old study on dry eye disease(DED) by the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute has shown that incidences of the disease are as high as 2,688 and 16,482 per million population among children and adults respectively.
The study was carried out from 2000 to 2018 and the data collected from various hospital networks tabulated. A total of 14.58 lakh patients were studied and the incidence of dry eyes recorded.
Dry eye syndrome is caused due to lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eyes. Dry eyes cause redness, constant irritation and in severe cases there is found to be inflammation and also scarring on the front surface of the eyes.
Incidence of dry eye syndrome is on the rise due to the use of computers and electronic gadgets where vision constantly focuses on different moving images.
The study found that 21,290 patients had recent onset of the disease and it was found to affect children and adults equally.
In terms of gender, it was found that men were affected in 3rd, 4th and 9th decade of their lives and women in the 5th and 6th decades. Incidence was also found to be higher among professionals and homemakers who were from a socially affluent class.
“The incidence is found to be higher among the affluent because they are hooked to gadgets for a longer period of time,” senior ophthalmologist Dr M. Chandra Mathur said. “In the use of gadgets, eyes are wide open, leading to less blinking. This causes excessive evaporation, leading to tearing of the gland and dry eyes.”
Eye centres in India are recording high number of DED syndromes, as there is a growing middle class, increasing urban migration and also a large ageing population, which is leading to a DED epidemic, the study noted.
