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Query: UMLS:C0314719 (dry eye)
 2,625 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

High altitude is associated with physiological as well as pathological changes in the eye related to adverse environmental conditions that result in increased tear evaporation and contribute to a higher incidence of dry eye in these regions. We aimed to study the difference in prevalence of dry eye at high altitude and at low altitude. The prevalence of dry eye among the natives and the army soldiers who were recently posted at high altitude was also studied and compared. 200 adults above 20 years of age were enrolled. 100 subjects were recruited at a high altitude region (study group), of which 50 were native Ladakhis and 50 were soldiers recently posted at Leh, Ladakh, India (height; 3300 m above sea level; temperature: 18 degrees C to 24 degrees C). 100 subjects, age and sex matched, were screened at a low altitude region, New Delhi, India (218 m above sea level; temperature: 19 degrees C to 24 degrees C) to serve as the control group. Prevalence of dry eye was assessed through standard questionnaires (McMonnies' Questionnaire (MMI), Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire (OSDI), and Schirmer's basic secretion test. On the basis of the parameters studied (symptoms, MMI, OSDI and Schirmer's test), dry eye was diagnosed in 20% of subjects screened at high altitude and in 9% of subjects in the control group screened at low altitude. In the study group, the prevalence of dry eye was significantly higher amongst the native population (54%) than in the army soldiers who were recently posted at that region (26%). The difference was statistically significant (p<0.005). In conclusion, dry eye is more common at high altitude, particularly in the native population. Awareness among people residing at high altitude and the treating medical personnel needs to be created for early detection and treatment of dry eye to prevent vision-threatening complications.
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PMID:Prevalence of dry eye at high altitude: a case controlled comparative study. 1911 18

McMonnies' and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaires were used to estimate the prevalence of dry eye among 400 consecutive patients aged >40 years attending the ophthalmology outpatient department of the Lady Hardinge Medical College and associated Smt Sucheta Kriplani Hospital, in New Delhi, India. These estimates were then compared with the results of various clinical tests and examinations of the same patients, including Schirmer's tests, evaluations of tear-film breakup times and fluorescein staining of corneas. Although the overall prevalence of dry eye based on OSDI was 29.25%, there was considerable age- and gender-related variation in this parameter. Compared with the younger patients, those aged >or=80 years were more likely to have OSDI that were indicative of dry eye (41.2%), and the women investigated were more likely to have dry eye (as indicated by OSDI) than the men (27% v. 12%). Occupation, however, appeared to have no effect on the risk of dry eye (P=0.952). Grittiness was the commonest complaint reported. McMonnies' indices (MMI), OSDI and the values recorded in Schirmer's tests were all significantly and positively correlated with the probability of a clinical diagnosis of dry eye (P<0.001 for each). Only patients with a Schirmer's value of <8 mm showed fluorescein staining of the cornea (P<0.005). This appears to be the first report from India in which MMI and OSDI have been significantly correlated with the probability of a clinical diagnosis of dry eye. Although the subjects were recruited in an ophthalmology department and may not have been very representative of the general population of New Delhi, dry-eye syndrome is probably common in the study area and probably has a considerable socio-economic impact. The early detection and timely management of this syndrome is important, as they can help prevent long-term sequelae and sight-threatening complications.
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PMID:Estimating the prevalence of dry eye among Indian patients attending a tertiary ophthalmology clinic. 2050 98