The DRY EYE HOT SPOTS are a listing of the 100 cities with the environmental conditions most likely to aggravate dry eye. The rankings are part of a National Women's Health Research Center (NWHRC) educational initiative and are based on data archived by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

DRY EYE HOT SPOTS Facts:

• Las Vegas, Nev. is the #1 DRY EYE HOT SPOT

• Four of the top five DRY EYE HOT SPOTS and five of the top ten DRY EYE HOT SPOTS are located in the state of Texas

• Beyond the top five, large metropolitan cities on the list include: Atlanta, Ga.; Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Miami, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Los Angeles, Calif.; and San Francisco, Calif.

• Atlanta, Ga. is the only East Coast city that ranks among the top ten DRY EYE HOT SPOTS

• Thinking of traveling to your favorite oceanside vacation destination to escape dry eye? Think again. Honolulu, Hawaii is ranked the #10 DRY EYE HOT SPOT; Miami, Fla. and San Diego, Calif. also made the list

• Boston, Mass. is the northern most city in the top 100 DRY EYE HOT SPOTS

• At #100, Columbus, Ga. is the best city in the top 100 for people with dry eye

About the DRY EYE HOT SPOTS Rankings:

• The DRY EYE HOT SPOTS are ranked according to a weighted average of the following environmental factors known to aggravate dry eye symptoms: ^1,2,3,4

  - Altitude	- Temperature
  - Humidity levels	- Wind
  - Pollution	- Ocular allergy irritants

• The DRY EYE HOT SPOTS rankings are based on data archived by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Researchers examined information from more than six sources to gather national, state and municipal data on temperature, humidity, wind, altitude, pollutants and ocular allergy prescriptions

• The DRY EYE HOT SPOTS campaign and Dry Eye Awareness Month have been acknowledged and supported as an important health awareness effort by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Rheumatology, American Optometric Association, Cornea Society, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, Lupus Foundation of America, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, National Rosacea Society, Rosacea Research and Development Institute and Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation

• Visit www.healthywomen.org to view the top 100 DRY EYE HOT SPOTS and take a Dry Eye Quiz to help your doctor determine whether you have dry eye. Also on the site, visitors will learn more about dry eye symptoms, causes, diagnosis, possible long-term effects and treatment options

About Dry Eye

• Dry eye occurs when changes to the health of the tear-producing glands affect the quantity and quality of tears produced and the tear film can no longer provide enough nourishment or protection to the surface of the eye

• Dry eye affects an estimated 20.7 million people in the United States. Symptoms of dry eye may include itching, irritation, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, dryness and foreign body sensation

• Dry eye can be a progressive disease, and if left untreated, dry eye can lead to more serious problems, including impaired vision and an increased risk of eye infection

• Certain medical factors can aggravate dry eye, including hormonal changes due to aging and menopause, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, rosacea and Sjögren's syndrome ^6,7

• Dry eye can significantly affect a person's daily activities, such as problems with reading, work, computer use and night driving

• Dry eye is one of the most common complaints seen by eye doctors, accounting for nearly one fourth of all office visits ⁸

• If a person uses artificial tears several times a day for dry eye symptoms, he or she should visit an eye doctor to discuss additional treatments

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¹ Schaumberg D, Sullivan D, Buring J, Dana R. Prevalence of dry eye syndrome among U.S. women. Am J Ophthalmol. 2003;136:318-326.
² Mader, T., Tabin G. Going to High Altitude with Preexisting Ocular Conditions. High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2003; 4:419-430.
³ Baudouin C. The pathology of dry eye. Surv Ophthalmol. 2001; 45(suppl 2): S211-S220.
⁴ AgingEyeTimes. Artificial Tears. Available at: http://www.agingeyenet/dryeyesinformation.php. Accessed March 7, 2006.
⁵ Market Scope. Report on the Global Dry Eye Market. St. Louis, Mo: Market Scope, July 2004.
⁶ Pflugfelder SC, Beuerman RW, Stern ME, eds. Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disorders. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc.; 2004.
⁷ Pisella Pj, Brignole F, Debbasch C, Lozato Pa, Creuzot-Garcher C, Bara J, Saiag P, Warnet Jm, Baudouin C. Flow cytometric analysis of conjunctival epithelium in ocular rosacea and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Ophthalmology 107 (10):1841-1849 (2000).
⁸ Albietz J., Dry Eye: an update on clinical diagnosis, management and promising new treatments. Clinical and Experimental Optometry 84.1 January-February, 2001.