Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Aim: To study the incidence of dry eye disease (DED) in presbyopia patients attending ophthalmology OPD in a tertiary care center.
Material and Methods: A total of 85 presbyopia patients presenting to ophthalmology OPD and meeting inclusion criteria were included in study. Details regarding age, occupation, co-morbidities and best corrected visual acuity were noted. All subjects were grouped into 2 groups based on Ocular surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire as asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. Ocular surface status was evaluated by doing tear film breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer's test and ocular surface staining (OSS) test. Severity grading of DED was done for all subjects using DEWS II (Dry eye workshop) criteria. DED severity level of both groups was compared.
Results: A total of 85 patients were screened. Mean age was 57.1 years ± 8.89 years, 58% being female and 42% being male. Among them, 25%(n=21) were asymptomatic and 75% (n= 64) were symptomatic according to OSDI criteria. After evaluation even among asymptomatic group, 52.38% were found to have level 1 DED. Among symptomatic group, 90.6%(n=58) diagnosed to have DED- level 1 being18.8%(n=12), level 2- 34.4%(n=22), level 3- 35.9% (n=23-maximum no.) while level 4 was 11.6%(n=1).
Conclusion: Presence of DED is common finding among presbyopia patients which is usually overlooked till patients complaint about it. A battery of tests needs to be performed on the patients to diagnose DED according to DEWS II criteria. But OSDI questionnaire is very easy, handy and reliable tool to screen these patients for DED in outpatient setup.