Dry eye and dry skin - is there a connection?

Martina Tomić,Tomislav Bulum,Sania Vidas Pauk,Igor Petriček

doi:10.1080/09286586.2021.2021539

Martina Tomić, Tomislav Bulum + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2021.2021539

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim To enquire whether patients with dry eye symptoms also report dry skin, whether their perception could be corroborated with objective measurement, and whether dry eye disease might be suspected based on patients’ complaints. Methods This cross-sectional study included 50 subjects, 25 with and 25 without dry eye symptoms. Schein questionnaire was used to determine the severity of dry eye symptoms. Ocular signs were assessed by monitoring conjunctival hyperemia, ocular surface staining, meibomian gland expression, tear film lipid layer thickness, tear break-up time, lid parallel conjunctival folds, Schirmer test, and meibometry. Skin dryness was assessed by noting patients’ self-perception of their facial skin dryness and measured by sebumeter. Results Subjects without dry eye symptoms had self-reported oilier facial skin than those with dry eye symptoms (p < .001). Sebumetry scores measured on the forehead and cheek were significantly higher in subjects without dry eye symptoms than dry eye subjects (p = .003). After adjustment for age and gender in a logistic regression analysis, dry eye was independently and significantly associated with dry skin (AOR 0.69, p = .040), higher LIPCOF score of both eyes (AOR 2.28, p = .028), lower sebumetry score of the forehead (AOR 0.98, p = .041) and cheek (AOR 0.98, p = .041), and shorter TBUT score after gland expression (AOR 0.90, p = .018). Conclusion This study showed that ocular dryness was subjectively and objectively positively correlated to facial skin dryness. Patients reliably described their skin condition. People with dry facial skin also had drier eyes.

Highlights

The eye's primary function is to see, and in that role, all its parts form a single organ
This study showed that ocular dryness was subjectively and objectively positively correlated to facial skin dryness - patients reliably described their skin condition: people with dry facial skin had drier eyes
According to the dry eye symptoms evaluated by the Schein questionnaire, subjects were divided into two groups: group 1 - subjects without dry eye symptoms (Schein questionnaire score 0) and group 2 - subjects with dry eye symptoms (Schein questionnaire score 1 or > 1)

Summary

Introduction

The eye's primary function is to see, and in that role, all its parts form a single organ. The eye with tear film protects itself from drying, and so does the skin for the rest of the body, which enables the body to retain its hydration. In that sense, both parts of the body surface perform the same task. In the last three decades, awareness of dry eye disease (DED) has risen considerably worldwide. It is a growing public health concern causing ocular discomfort, fatigue, and visual disturbance that interferes with quality of life (QoL), including aspects of physical, social, psychological functioning, daily activities, and workplace productivity. DED is defined by Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS) and amended by the TFOS DEWS II [3, 4]

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