Dry eye symptoms were more strongly related to sleep disturbances than dry eye signs, according to a recent study.
The cross-sectional study, conducted at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, investigated the association between dry eye (DE) disease and sleep quality. The study, published in BMJ Open Ophthalmology, included 141 veterans (mean age, 56 ± 5 years) who completed the 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5), Ocular Surface Disease Index, Numerical Rating Scale, and Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory modified for the eye. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess aspects of sleep quality, as DE metrics were analyzed by PSQI scores and subscores.
Results indicated that 76% of participants reported mild or greater DE symptoms (DEQ-5 ≥6). The strongest DE symptom associations were with sleep disturbances (PSQI subscore 5, r=0.49, P<0.0005). In contrast, for DE signs, ocular surface inflammation and meibum quality were related to subjective sleep quality (PSQI subscore 1, r=0.29, P=0.03). Linear regression analyses revealed that most ocular symptom questionnaires were significantly associated with sleep disturbances, while ocular surface inflammation and meibum quality were significantly linked to subjective sleep quality.
“Given the availability of techniques that may improve sleep quality, it is important for eye care providers to consider a holistic approach in their management of DE, although it is not yet known if improving sleep quality will impact DE status,” noted the researchers. “Addressing both DE symptoms and sleep disturbances as early as they are identified may help reduce sleeping problems and improve mental health simultaneously.”
This research was supported by the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Eye Institute, NIH Center Core Grant, and Research to Prevent Blindness.