Dry eye complaints prompt review

Dry and gritty feeling eyes are a major and growing healthcare problem in the UK, with the condition thought to affect up to 30 per cent of the population at some time.

This was one of the findings presented at a London event organised by Rohto Dry Eye Relief (RDER), which gave a 360 degree review on dry eye and new clinical data.

Dr Christine Purslow, director of the contact lens and anterior eye research unit at Cardiff University, explained that modern lifestyles and an ageing population were largely responsible for the increase in dry eye symptoms. Other factors such as the contraceptive pill, underlying illnesses and health conditions, as well as medications like antidepressants and antihistamines could have an impact. Sjögren's syndrome could be devastating, causing severe dry eye, while dry eye was another complication of being a diabetic. As well as more obvious reasons for dry eye such as contact lens usage, alcohol was another factor as it could lead to dehydration of the eye, with research emerging that hydration status had a part to play.