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Contact: Patti Jacobs Schepens Eye Research Institute pattijacobshotmail 617-912-2544 Boston, MA (USA) About 3.2 million American women over age 50 suffer from dry eye syndrome, a painful and debilitating eye disease, according to an epidemiological study by scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute and Brigham and Womens Hospital. The study, published in the August issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology and the largest study of its kind, indicates that dry eye in women is a major health problem, they can often remain undiagnosed.The incidence of dry eye syndrome, as well as the economic impact on the health system is likely as the population ages. These results highlight the problem and help the public and the health sector more aware of dry eye syndrome as a
major health problem for women. It also emphasizes the need for diagnosis and treatment effects on individual quality of life and limit the society, said Debra Schaumberg, ScD, OD, MPH, lead author of the study, research assistant at the Schepens Eye Institute associated research epidemiologist with Brigham and Womens Hospital (BWH) and professor at Harvard Medical School.Known to be more common in women than in men (scientists estimate that more than one million men over age 50 have the disease), dry eye syndrome is characterized by a decrease in quality or quantity tears normally bathe the eye to keep it moist and it works fine. This condition causes symptoms such as pain, irritation, dryness, and / or a sensation of sand or granules. Syndrome if left untreated, dry eye
can cause severe scarring or ulceration of the cornea and vision loss. Victims can experience symptoms so constant and severe that reading, driving, working or engaging in other activities of daily living is difficult or impossible.Previous studies have given an indication of the number of women (people) affected, these studies were small and limited geographically and demographically. Schaumberg study, however, is
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