Association of dry eye disease in patients using antidepressants

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the association of dry eye disease in patients using antidepressants and also comparison of two antidepressants drugs escitalopram and sertraline among patients using these anti-depressants drugs. Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was done from July 2019 to April 2020 at Capital Development Hospital Islamabad and Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi. Data was gathered by using self-made proforma. Purposive sampling was done. After taking consent from the individuals using these two antidepressants Schirmer test and Ocular surface disease index results were recorded. Data analysis was done by the latest SPSS version 20. Data was analyzed by using chi square in SPSS version 20. Result: In 80 subjects aged between 20-40 years, both male and female gender using antidepressants escitalopram and sertraline, association of dry eye was assessed by Schirmer test and ocular surface disease index. Results of this study showed that dry eye was associated with duration of usage of antidepressants (p<0.001). Statistically there is no significant difference of dry eye between escitalopram and sertraline with p value (0.488). Conclusions: This study gives knowledge to Ophthalmologists and health care practitioners that long term use of antidepressants has association with dry eye. Antidepressant drug dosage history is important in dry eye disease. Dry eyes were checked in patients using these two drugs escitalopram, sertraline.