Where You Live May Affect Ocular Rosacea

The not-for-profit National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) today released a list of America's 100 DRY EYE HOT SPOTS, those cities with environmental conditions most likely to contribute to dry eye, a condition which can progress and if left untreated can lead to increased risk of infection and impaired vision.

The rankings are based on an analysis of data archived by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climatic Data Center and the Environmental Protection Agency that considered six factors including temperature, humidity, wind, altitude, pollutants and ocular allergens.

Las Vegas tops the list, followed by four Texas cities. Other large metropolitan cities on the list include New York, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Miami.

"Even if you live in one of the worst cities for dry eye, you don't have to live with dry eye," said Marguerite McDonald, MD, FACS, clinical professor of ophthalmology at Tulane University Hospital & Clinic. "Anyone using eye drops several times a day should see an eye care professional who can properly diagnose chronic dry eye and may recommend adding a treatment, such as a prescription eye drop that targets the underlying cause of dry eye."

Chronic dry eye occurs when changes to the health of the tear-producing glands affect the quantity and quality of tears produced. The tear film can no longer provide enough nourishment or protection to the surface of the eye, explained Dr. McDonald. Dry eye can be a progressive disease and, if left untreated, chronic dry eye can lead to more serious problems.

Dry eye is one of the most common complaints brought to eye doctors, accounting for nearly one fourth of all office visits. Nearly 40 percent of Americans suffer from dry eye symptoms, which may include itching, irritation, light sensitivity, blurred vision, dryness and foreign body sensation. Those suffering from dry eye may have trouble with reading, professional work, driving at night and using a computer.

In addition to environmental factors, such as those found in the cities on the DRY EYE HOT SPOTS rankings, certain medical factors also can aggravate dry eye, including hormonal changes due to aging and menopause, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, rosacea, sarcoidosis and Sjogren's syndrome.

"Women are twice as likely as men to suffer dry eye(11) because of hormonal factors and related autoimmune disorders that disproportionately affect women," said Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive director of the National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC). "It is a growing public health issue that people need to know more about."

To help raise awareness, Sen. Mark Dayton of Minnesota is working to formally designate July as Dry Eye Awareness Month in Congress. Together with the NWHRC and the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the autoimmune disease that affects moisture producing glands, Sen. Dayton has declared July as Dry Eye Awareness Month in the Congressional Record.

As part of the effort to educate about dry eye, the NWHRC has posted on http://www.healthywomen.org the rankings of HOT SPOTS cities and a Dry Eye Quiz that people can take to their doctor to help determine whether they have chronic dry eye. Visitors to the Web site also will find information on symptoms, causes, diagnosis, long-term effects and treatment options.

Organizations involved in helping raise public awareness for dry eye include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Rheumatology, American Optometric Association, Cornea Society, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, Lupus Foundation of America, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, National Rosacea Society, Rosacea Research & Development Institute and Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation.