Impact of Dry Eye on Prolonged Reading

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vision Science
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Dry eye disease (DED) is a common condition affecting the ocular surface.
• Patients with DED often report visual disturbances, including difficulties with reading.
• The specific impact of DED on reading performance has not been extensively studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of dry eye signs and symptoms on reading speed.
• To compare reading performance in patients with significant DED, mild DED symptoms, and healthy controls.
• To evaluate both short-duration, out-loud reading and prolonged, silent reading tasks.

Main Methods:

• 116 patients with significant DED, 39 with DED symptoms only, and 31 controls (age ≥50) participated.
• Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire assessed symptoms.
• Objective tests included tear film stability, Schirmer's test, and ocular surface staining.
• Reading speed was measured using a short-duration out-loud test and a 30-minute sustained silent reading test.

Main Results:

• Patients with significant DED read slower during sustained silent reading (240 wpm) compared to controls (272 wpm; P=.04).
• No significant difference in reading speed was observed for short-duration out-loud reading between groups.
• Higher corneal staining scores correlated with slower sustained reading speeds (10 wpm decrease per 1-point increase; P=.01).

Conclusions:

• Dry eye disease, particularly corneal staining, negatively impacts prolonged reading performance.
• Sustained silent reading tests may serve as objective measures of DED's effect on vision-related quality of life.
• These findings highlight the functional visual impairment caused by dry eye.