Difficulties in Performing Daily Activities in Patients with Dry Eye before and after Treatment

Abstract

Dry eye disease (DED) represents an important public health problem causing visual discomfort which affects the quality of life. This paper investigates the current comprehension of DED on life quality and vision. Methods: This research consists of a cross-sectional study of 121 patients, with a mean age of 70 ± 9 years, diagnosed with DED. All patients were treated in the University Clinic for Ophthalmology in “St. Spiridon” Emergency Hospital, Iasi. For all patients, we evaluated visual acuity on the Snellen chart, tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer I test scores, and contrast sensitivity. For this study, we used the Visual Functioning Questionnaire—25 (VFQ-25) version 2000, modified and adapted for this research (19 items). Results: Prior to treatment, patients had very high difficulty reading a text in a newspaper or on TV, reading prices on products in shops, or recognizing people they already met. Performing manual work or favorite activities was also very difficult. Post-treatment visual challenges improved in the majority of cases, regardless of the treatment method used. Conclusions: We found that symptomatic dry eye disease was associated with reduced ability in performing several important vision-related daily tasks and has a significant impact on life quality and visual performance.