Augustė Skačelytė1, Eglė Krasovskienė2
1Vilniaus universitetas, Medicinos fakultetas, Vilnius, Lietuva
2Karoliniškių poliklinika, Lazdynų sveikatos priežiūros centras, Vilnius, Lietuva
Abstract
Background. Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface with loss of homeostasis of the tear film and ocular symptoms. DED has significant implications for public health and negatively impacts quality of life due to its adverse effects on mental and physical health, as well as its long-term economic burden.
Aim: To select and analyze the scientific literature about dry eye disease, its prevalence, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic and treatment possibilities.
Materials and methods. The literature review was made after gathering publications from Pubmed and Google Scholar databases. The key words and their combinations used during the search: „dry eye disease”, „dry eye syndrome”, „prevalence”, „treatment”. 33 publications included in the article. Review period is 2015 – 2023.
Results. Although DED more commonly affects women and older individuals, in recent years, the condition has been increasingly prevalent among younger patients due to increased screen use and contact lenses wear. One of the essential pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease is hyperosmolarity at the ocular surface that initiates an inflammatory vicious cycle. Symptoms of this pathology include dryness, redness, pain, blurred vision, and foreign body sensation. Diagnosis of DED requires symptoms and at least one positive homeostasis marker result. First-line treatment includes patient education, modifying the local environment, incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into the diet, and use of artificial tears.Conclusions. DED is a common eye disease negatively impacting patients’ quality of life. Accurate diagnosis and severity assessment are crucial to initiate treatment aimed at restoring ocular surface homeostasis.
Keywords: dry eye disease, dry eye syndrome, ocular surface disease.