PREVALENCE OF DRY EYE IN PATIENTS ON ANTIGLAUCOMA MEDICATION AND EFFECT WITH DURATION OF THERAPY

Introduction:Anti-glaucoma drug therapy is the most effective initial treatment for glaucoma, an ocular neuropathy that progresses over time. Chronic or long duration of use of antiglaucoma medications may result in changes to the ocular surface, including altered tear breakup times, decreased tear output, and corneal and conjunctival epithelium alterations . Aim:To study prevalence of dry eyes in patients using topical anti glaucoma medications. Methodology:This was a prospective observational study at the Department of Ophthalmology, JNU Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India July 2022- June 2023 on 150 patients using anti-glaucoma medication for more than 6 months were taken. Results:The prevalance of dry eye among study subjects at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months of follow up was 24%, 52.7% and 60.7% respectively in both the eyes. Conclusion:Glaucoma affects large population worldwide, and long-term use of anti-glaucoma medications can negatively impact the surface of eye and may affect the patients vision. Understanding the pathogenesis of OSD and identifying its risk factors will improve patient care along with strategies to diagnose and treat and maintain homeostasis of ocular surface.