Background: Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a significant health problem resulting from contact eye lenses that increase eye dryness and negatively affect the quality of life and productivity. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the prevalence of dry eye symptoms and identify the significant symptoms of DES among contact lens wearers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: An observational analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among contact lenses wearers in the Qassim region. A contact lens questionnaire-8 was developed, disseminated, and self-administered by each participant through social media using Surveymonkey.com. The data were analyzed using STATA 14.2 software; continuous variables were presented as Mean ± SD. p-values < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.
Results: Out of 524 respondents, the mean age was 34.8 ± 9.0, 75% did not undergo eye surgery, and the most used lenses for medical and cosmetics indication. The age, gender, and marital status significantly correlated with mainly DES. Educational and occupational level and immune disease had a highly significant effect on the prevalence of DES. Duration and number of hours using contact lenses daily and the type of contact eye lenses significantly affect the prevalence of DES (p-values < 0.05).
Conclusion: A significant correlation was found between demographic data and DES prevalence. The number of hours wearing lenses and their types had a highly significant effect on the prevalence of DES.
Key words: Blurred vision, contact eye lenses, eye dryness, eye surgeries, eye discomfort
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