EC Ophthalmology

Research Article Volume 13 Issue 8 - 2022

Assessing Awareness of Dry Eye Disease in Saudi Subjects Using a Designed Questionnaire

Basal H Altoaimi*, Gamal A El-Hiti*, Amjad N Almutairi, Saif K Almutairi, Mohammed A Almutairi and Ali M Masmali

Cornea Research Chair, Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding Author: Basal H Altoaimi and Gamal A El-Hiti, Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Received: June 08, 2022; Published: July 28, 2022



Aim: To assess the level of awareness about dry eye disease in Saudi subjects.

Method: A designed questionnaire containing 12 questions was distributed as a hard copy. A total of 1933 participants (801 males and 1132 females) with ages ranging from 18 to 60 years completed the questionnaire.

Results: The results showed that the majority (50.1%) of participants were not aware of dry eye disease. In addition, 52.2% of participants believed that dry eye is a common disease but does not affect daily life activities. A large proportion (40.3%) of the participants believed that dry eye disease is rising within the community. Information on dry eye awareness was received from ophthalmologists and optometrists (40.8%), friends (19.2%), websites (17.6%), leaflets (7.5%), and other sources (14.9%). Contact lens wearing was suggested to be the most significant contributing factor to dry eye (28.0%), followed by the prolonged use of digital screens such as computers, laptops, and video game consoles (24.7%). The common symptoms associated with dry eye disease were found to be itchiness (22.7%), redness (19.5%), eyestrain (15.6%), light sensitivity (14.9%), blurred visions (13.3%), and excessive tearing (9.7%). The majority (71.1%) of participants believed that artificial tears are the first choice to manage the discomfort symptoms associated with dry eye. The avoidance of the prolonged use of digital screens was believed to be the most common way to relieve dry eye symptoms (21.2%), followed by avoiding harsh conditions such as dusty and windy environments (19.0%), and contact lens use (18.4%).

Conclusion: The majority of participants were not aware of dry eye disease. The low level of dry eye awareness could lead to a rise in the prevalence of dry eye in the community. Much effort and innovative approaches are needed to increase awareness of dry eye disease in the community.

Keywords: Dry Eye Disease; Tear Film; Awareness; Designed Questionnaire; Dry Eye Symptoms

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Basal H Altoaimi and Gamal A El-Hiti., et al. Assessing Awareness of Dry Eye Disease in Saudi Subjects Using a Designed Questionnaire.EC Ophthalmology 13.8 (2022): 50-57.