Dry Eye Hot Jobs Key Survey Findings

In April 2007, International Communication Research conducted a telephone survey of 322 adults in the United States who suffer from dry eye symptoms and work either part-time or full-time. Survey highlights include:

• Dry eye can be a progressive disease, and if left untreated, chronic dry eye can lead to more serious problems, including impaired vision and an increased risk of eye infection, ⁱ however 61 percent of survey respondents have never spoken to a doctor about their dry eye symptoms.
• Over 34 percent of survey respondents experience dry eye symptoms three or more times a day. Anyone who uses over-the-counter artificial tears on a regular basis without relief is encouraged to see an eye care professional to determine whether they have chronic dry eye. The eye care professional may recommend appropriate over-the-counter or prescription therapies.
• Dry eye can be aggravated by a number of external factors,^{ii, iii} many of which are common in workplace environments such as those identified in the Dry Eye Hot Jobs listing. Of the survey respondents, all of whom suffer from dry eye symptoms:
  • 67 percent reported prolonged computer use.
  • Approximately 40 percent reported on the job exposure to particles or dust in the air.
  • 77 percent reported exposure to air conditioning and/or heating daily.

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^I Schaumberg D, Sullivan D, Buring J, Dana R. Prevalence of dry eye syndrome among U.S. women. Am J Ophthalmol. 2003;136:318-326.
^II Blehm C, Vishnu S, Khattak A. Computer vision syndrome: a review. Surv Ophthalmol. 2005 May-Jun;50(3):253-62.
^III AgingEyeTimes. Artificial Tears. Available at: http://www.agingeyenet/dryeyesinformation.php. Accessed March 7, 2006.