The Prevalence of Dry Eye among Attendant of Birjand Valiaser Hospital from 2009-2010

To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of dry eye in the patients referred to an eye clinic in Birjand, Iran. This cross sectional descriptive-analytical study consisted of 600 patients who were referred to the eye clinic of Birjand, Iran between September 2010 and September 2011. They were given a simple questionnaire about the risk factors of dry eye including the demographic information, cigarette smoking, and menopause, climate conditions, underlying disease, eye diseases, drug history and previous eye surgery. The Schirmer 1 test was done for all of participants and statistical analyses were performed using software SPSS 16. The total prevalence of DES was 59% and its prevalence increased with age from 31.6% in patients <20 years to 81.8% among patients > 80 years. After adjusting for age, other risk factors were the history of cigarette smoking (OR=1.89, P=0.021), menopause (OR=3.26, P<0.001), season (P<0.001), systemic hypertension (OR=2.09, P=0/012), diabetes (OR=1.89, P=0.006), glibenclamide usage (OR=2.28, P=0.008), the presence of cataract (OR=2.08, P=0.001) and cataract surgery (OR=2.16, P=0.005). There was no statistically significant association between DES and patients gender. Dry eye is very common in Birjand with aride climate condition. It’s prevalence increases with aging, cigarette smoking, menopause, history of hypertension, diabetes, glibenclamide taking, the presence of cataract and cataract surgery.