Chronic pain linked with severe dry eye

Patients with concomitant chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia tend to have more severe symptoms of dry eye disease, reported Jelle Vehof PhD, of  at the World Cornea Congress VII in San Diego.Dr Vehof and colleagues at the University Medical Centre Groningen, the Netherlands compared dry eye signs and symptoms in two groups of patients in the Netherlands and the UK.

All patients completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.  Patients with chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and pelvic pain had higher symptoms scores in every one of the 12 items on the index, with six reaching statistical significance in the UK group and three in the Dutch group. These include light sensitivity, blurred vision and discomfort in windy conditions.

However, a comprehensive evaluation of clinical signs in patients with and without chronic pains syndromes found no significant difference in factors such as tear osmolarity, tear break-up time, or Schirmer’s tests. “These finding suggest a role for central sensitivity for neuropathic pain in at least part of the dry eye population. This could help explain the poor correlation between symptoms and signs at the ocular surface. This could also help us with management patients with dry eye disease,” concluded Dr Vehof.