Dry eye disease associated with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Around one in 10 women (9.6%) has dry eye disease, says research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, and it is most strongly associated with chronic pain syndromes and fibromyalgia. People with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are also more likely than healthy people to be affected.
Symptoms of dry eye disease include the sensation of grit in the eye, frequently accompanied by itching, burning and visual disturbance. The causes are poorly understood.
Questionnaires that assessed the prevalence and severity of dry eye disease were sent to almost 4,000 women in the UK (average age 57). At the same time 681 randomly selected twins gave extra information on dry eye symptoms and rated their own health on a five-point scale.
Around one in 10 of women (9.6%) had been diagnosed with dry eye disease, which was being treated with artificial tear eye drops or gel. One in five (just under 21%) had experienced symptoms in the past three months.
It’s a problem that seems to get worse with age: 2.7% of women in their 30s were affected compared to 20% of those in their 90s.
Dry eye disease was associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cataract surgery, age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, contact lenses, fertility problems, asthma, eczema and thyroid problems.
But the strongest associations were found with chronic pain syndromes such as irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic pain, and fibromyalgia. People with these conditions also tended to have depression and migraine (risk factors for dry eye disease in their own right).
The responses to the health questionnaire showed that people with dry eye symptoms rated their health, on average, worse than those without symptoms. They highlighted difficulties watching TV, driving, working online, and experienced discomfort in places that were air conditioned or where the air was dry.
The researchers conclude that dry eye disease is very common among women and that it has a significant impact on perceived quality of life.
They add that their findings suggest that altered pain perception as well as psychological factors may influence the development of the condition and symptom severity, and that some people might be helped by treating the pain rather than just lubricating the eyes.

Image credit: Fabio