Dr.Madhurima Chandra

Dr. Ashapurna Borgohain

Abstract

Purpose: Prevalence of smoking among young population is fairly high. Also, DED often leads to ocular discomfort. However, association of tobacco smoking with DED is still unclear. This study was done to find out any correlation between smoking and DED.

Method: 100 eyes of 50 smokers & 50 non-smokers each – all males of 18-30 years were taken (other causes of dry eyes excluded). Cases were divided into 3 groups according to the average daily amount of smoking for last 1 year: Light (<1 pack or 20 cigarettes), moderate (1 pack) & heavy (>1 pack) smokers. Between 1.11.2019 and 31.1.2020, assessment of DED was done in all cases depending on symptoms, TBUT & Schirmer-1 test. Data was analysed using SPSS version.

Result: Dry eye symptoms, Schirmer-1 and TBUT values were significantly higher in smokers than nonsmokers (p value < 0.05) & highest in case of heavy smokers. Conclusion: Smoking is a risk factor for development of dry eyes. Severity of dry eye disease depends on the smoking load.