How Dry Eye Affects Your Life

Dry eye disease doesn’t only affect your eyes.

Symptoms like …

• Stinging or burning eyes
• Watery eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurry vision

… can also affect your quality of life

Work

Dry eye disease may affect your ability to work and may cause you to be less productive.

Staring at a screen for long periods of time or working outdoors in windy or dry climates can make symptoms like dryness and irritation worse.

People with dry eye disease may have a hard time functioning at work and may need to take time off because of it. Many worry about losing their jobs.

Money

More time away from work can mean less income or loss of employment.

Treatment costs, including:

• Over-the-counter remedies
• Office visits
• Surgery

add up, even if you have insurance.

Mental health

People with dry eye disease may feel isolated, especially if they can’t work or participate in everyday activities due to their symptoms.

Dry eye disease has been linked with depression and anxiety.

Migraine attacks

Migraine disease does not cause dry eye disease, but there may be a connection between the two conditions.

Reading

Dry eye disease can slow reading speed by up to 10% and make it hard to read for more than 30 minutes. This can make day-to-day tasks that need visual concentration for long periods of time difficult.

Driving

Dry eye disease may affect your ability to see while driving.

People with dry eye disease may have slower response times and not see obstructions in the road.

Disparities

Race and ethnicity may play a part in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease.

Dry eye disease is more common in people of Asian descent

Compared to white people, Black, Asian and Hispanic people may:

• Experience more severe symptoms
• Have less access to healthcare
• BeAre less likely to receive treatments

What happens if dry eye disease isn’t treated?

In some cases, if left untreated, dry eye disease can progress from mild to moderate to severe.

Dry eye disease is a condition that needs to be managed.

See your healthcare provider for help

If dry eye disease is affecting your quality of life, talk to a dry eye disease specialist or eye care professional and look to advocacy groups like the Dry Eye Foundation for support.