Abstract
Purpose :
To examine whether home interventions improve indoor air quality and DED symptoms.
Methods :
Subjects were recruited from the Miami Veterans Administration, University of Miami, and University of Maryland. All underwent two home monitoring sessions. Assessed indoor environmental metrics included temperature, humidity, particulate matter (PM) mass, and household characteristics. Patient reported symptoms were also captured. After the first home visit, all subjects were provided with a written report of the levels and types of air pollutants in their home. Based on this report, they were provided with up to 7 recommendations to improve their indoor air quality. The second evaluation was conducted ~6 months later to assess whether individuals followed the recommendations and whether their air quality and DED symptoms improved.
Results :
Mean age of the 165 subjects was 55.4 years. 128 (77%) implemented at least one intervention and 90 (54%) implemented at least two interventions. The concentration of PM>0.05µm declined from 88,336 particles/ft3 at baseline to 58,850 particles ft3 (p < 0.01) six months later. Subjects who implemented one more of the recommended interventions showed significant improvements in four symptoms: discomfort in eyes (odds ratio (OR) 1.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-2.47), dryness (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.06-2.49), watering eyes (OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.05-4.00) and itching eyes (OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.05-3.45) compared to those who did not implement recommendations. Among the 7 interventions, installing an air purifier, use of less harmful cleaning products (e.g., vinegar and baking soda), and removing carpets showed the greatest association with improvements in dry eye symptoms. Subjects who installed an air purifier where 3.71 times more likely to report improvement in eye dryness (95% CI 1.33-10.38) and 3.78 times more likely to report improvement in itching eyes (95% CI 1.03–13.9) than those who did not.
Conclusions :
Low-cost interventions were effective in reducing the concentration of fine PM in the home. Subjects who implemented the recommended interventions experienced significant improvement in their DED symptoms compared to those who did not follow the recommendations. These data provide justification for incorporating evidence-based educational therapies to help manage DED symptoms.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.