Jornal de Oftalmologia Clínica e Experimental
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A Survey of Dry Eye Symptoms in Contact Lens Wearers and Non-Contact Lens Wearers among University Students in Malaysia

Sagili Chandrasekhara Reddy, Khoo Hui Ying, Lee Hooi Theng, Ooi Tze How, Pau, Kong Fu-Xiang and Mohamed Muhshin bin Mohamed Sikander

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dry eye symptoms in contact lens wearers and non-contact lens wearers among university students, and to find out any association between dry eye symptoms and gender in these students, dry eye symptoms and computer usage in contact lens wearers.
Material and methods: This study was conducted among the medical and pharmacy students aged between 18 and 28 years. Contact lens dry eye questionnaire (CLDEQ) for contact lens wearers and dry eye questionnaire (DEQ) for non-contact lens wearers were used in this study. Both forms consisted of questions on the age, gender, common symptoms and mode of relief etc. The character of the symptoms was measured with the dimensions of frequency and intensity. The filled questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: The dry eye questionnaires were completed by 627 students (461 DEQ and 166 CLDEQ). Females 406 (64.8%) were more than males 221 (35.2%) and majority of them were non-contact lens users in both genders. Our study showed that all the symptoms of dry eye were significantly more prevalent in contact lens wearers when compared to non-contact lens wearers. The most common symptom of dry eyes experienced in contact lens wearers was dryness of eyes (73.5%), while tired eyes (77%) was the most common symptom in non-contact lens wearers. The study also showed an increasing trend in frequency and intensity of symptoms as the day passed by, with the highest intensity at the end of the contact lens wearing time. The dry eyes symptom was noted significantly more often in students using computer for more than 2 hours daily.
Conclusion: Symptoms of dry eyes are more frequent in contact lens wearers than in non-contact lens wearers, with an increasing trend of their frequency and intensity at the end of the day.