Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of an adverse environment on blink rate in a population of dry eye patients. Methods: One–hundred and eighty patients diagnosed with dry eye underwent baseline examinations including visual acuity, blink rate, tear film break–up time (TFBUT), and fluorescein staining. All patients were exposed to a Controlled Adverse Environment (CAE) which regulates humidity (<10%), temperature (76 ± 6), airflow (constant, non–turbulent), and visual tasking (watching a movie) for 90 minutes. Ocular discomfort was evaluated (according to a standardized 0–4 point scale; 0 = none, 4 = worst) upon entering the CAE and every 5 minutes thereafter. After the CAE exposure, blink rate, TFBUT and fluorescein staining were re–evaluated. Results: Mean blink rate at baseline was 19.61 (±16.96) blinks / minute. After the 90–minute CAE exposure, this value increased to 22.77 (±16.90) blinks / minute (p = 0.009). Patients reported a mean ocular discomfort of 3.0 (±0.65). Conclusions: The data suggests that adverse environmental conditions cause patients diagnosed with dry eye to blink more frequently. It is believed that the exacerbation of ocular discomfort in a CAE triggers compensatory mechanisms such as increased blink rate to minimize further damage of the ocular surface.
Keywords: cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye • cornea: clinical science • eye movements