ABSTRACT
Background: Dry eye syndrome arises due to chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. Symptoms of dry eye syndrome includes burning sensation, itchy eyes, blurred vision, and fatigued eyes, redness of eyes, gritty and dry eye sensation / foreign body sensation. Studies reveal that post-menopausal women are at greater risk of developing dry eyes than men of same age. Aims and objectives were to determine the prevalence of dry eye syndrome among post-menopausal women at tertiary care center, Hyderabad and to assess the socio-demographic factors related to dry eye syndrome among study population.Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out from March to June 2017 among post-menopausal women attending Gandhi Hospital, in Hyderabad, Telangana. A convenient sample of 200 post-menopausal women was taken. Schirmer’s test was used to determine presence of dry eyes.Results: The mean age of study population was found to be 51.66±5.8 years. The mean age of onset of menopause in study subjects was 45.63±1.8 years. The prevalence of dry eye syndrome was found to be 39.5%. Mild dryness of eyes was most common among study subjects (20.5%). Prevalence of dry eyes increased with age and had significant association.Conclusions:Dry eye syndrome is not a life threatening disease, but causes ocular discomfort and compromises quality of life. If neglected, can even lead to blindness and debility due to complications arising due to dry eye.