Subjective Dry Eye Symptoms in Pregnant Women–A SPEED Survey

Abstract

Aim. Multisystemic physiological changes in pregnancy can result in tear film and refractive changes in the eye. We report dry eye prevalence in pregnant women using Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire. Methods. The SPEED questionnaire was self-administered cross-sectionally to 428 pregnant women (mean age: 26.8 ± 4.4 years) with clinically confirmed pregnancy from two obstetric clinics in Chennai, India. Subjects with predisposing risk factors for dry eye were excluded from the study. Subjects were categorized as normal, moderate, and severe dry eye based on the SPEED score. Results. Among the women, 48.5% of the subjects had symptoms like dryness, grittiness or scratchiness, soreness or irritation, burning or watering, or eye fatigue. About 2.3% had moderate dry eye according to SPEED questionnaire criteria. Eye fatigue was the most reported symptom and was present in 76.4% of women. The symptom frequency score and severity score had a strong and significant correlation ( r = 0.95 , P < .001 ). No significant correlation was noted among SPEED score vs age ( r = − 0.02 , P > .05 ). No significant correlation was found between symptoms of dry eye and gravidity ( ρ = − 0.006 , P > .05 ) and trimester ( ρ = 0.38 , P > .05 ). Binary logistic regression showed that only occupational status and systemic condition was significantly associated with dry eye symptoms. Conclusion. About half the pregnant women at the visit reported having one or more dry eye-related symptoms. As per the composite SPEED questionnaire score, dry eye was not prevalent among pregnant women irrespective of their age, gravidity, and the trimester, but we found a majority of pregnant women reported to have experienced dry eye-related symptoms, though tolerable. Awareness about dry eye during pregnancy will improve eye care seeking behaviour in pregnant women.

Subjective Dry Eye Symptoms and Objective Ocular Surface Signs in a Civil Air Crew Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Participants were then classified into categories of normal (0-6), moderate (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15), or severe (16-28) dry eye symptoms according to their composite score. This scoring approach is consistent with established guidelines in the literature [17].…”

Alterações oftalmológicas durante a gestação

“…O cloasma, ou seja, o aumento da pigmentação cutânea transitória ao redor dos olhos, pálpebras e bochechas, podendo ser chamado de 'máscara da gravidez' está presente em até 90% das gestantes. O desenvolvimento dessa condição depende de fatores genéticos, ambientais e o tipo da pele (Mackensen et al 2014;Anantharaman,D. et al,2023).…”

“…Outra alteração, decorrente da flutuação hormonal, que ocorre durante a gravidez, é a maior predisposição ao desenvolvimento da síndrome do olho seco, distúrbio que cursa com sintomas, como turvação e sensação de corpo estranho, e predispõe a quadros de inflamação e infecção (Anantharaman, D .et., 2023). Alguns fatores fisiológicos desse período, como a ruptura de células acinares e variação dos níveis séricos de glicose, diminuem a quantidade e qualidade das lágrimas e alteram a superfície ocular, favorecendo essa manifestação clínica (KALOGEROPOULOS, D Kalogeropoulos, D. et al 2019).…”

An Online Questionnaire-Based Survey of 1076 Individuals in Poland to Identify the Prevalence of Ophthalmic Symptoms in Autumn 2022

“…The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected daily habits, including remote work, spending time indoors, and smartphone use, which may also lead to an increase in the prevalence of eye symptoms and vision problems [16,17]. Different authors around the world have used cross-sectional methods (including online questionnaire-based surveys) to assess the prevalence of ophthalmic symptoms, including eye strain, dry eye symptoms, or symptoms of red eyes [18][19][20]. Nationwide representative data on ophthalmic symptoms after the pandemic onset can inform healthcare professionals and policymakers on research and educational and organizational needs related to eye care and related healthcare services [5,18].…”