A survey commissioned by Théa and carried out by YouGov revealed that just over a third of British people were unaware of dry eye disease despite experiencing symptoms and it impacting on their quality of life.
Over 2,000 people responded to the No EyeDea survey, which found that 36% did not know what any symptoms of dry eye disease were.
A total of 43% said they had experience painful, sore or burning sensations in their eyes, while 48% felt they had something in their eye.
In addition, 34% felt that their eyes were watering and 21% had experienced red eyes. Despite this, 32% waited to see if the symptoms would go away by themselves.
Théa found that 92% did not know women were more likely to suffer from dry eye and 84% did not know that the menopause could cause the condition.
Survey respondents said that their quality of life was also affected, such as ability to wear contact lenses, sleep pattern and overall mood.
Dr Matthew Olsen, head of UK marketing at Théa Pharmaceuticals, said: ‘Dry eye disease can be a painful condition that can have a huge impact on quality of life. Théa remains committed to raising awareness of dry eye disease so people feel confident enough to seek a diagnosis and find the right solutions to manage their condition.’
