I've posted a lot over the past few years on Dry Eye Disease. It affects millions of people every day and I've seen, in my practice, the effects and symptoms of dry eye ranging from mild to severe. Dry Eye Disease can cause
physical symptoms, as well as functional issues. It can cause blurry and fluctuating vision. But, a recent study was able to take it a step further and identify a more tangible functional loss due to dry eyes.
In the January 2013 issue of "Optometry and Vision Science," researchers were able to demonstrate that patients with Dry Eye Disease had a slower rate or speed of reading than individuals without dry eye. And, the difference in reading speed was pretty significant. Further, they found that the worse the dry eye condition, the slower the reading speed.
This study truly points to how dry eyes can affect our everyday lives. As our eyes become dry, we'll lose productivity that is tied to reading efficiency and efficacy. The good news there are many treatments available to address Dry Eye Disease.
Dr. Beach.
Leave a Reply