Macular thickness not linked to eye strain, blurred vision, or photophobia

Factors such as tear break-up time, superficial punctate keratitis, and thickness of the ganglion cell complex play significant roles in the manifestation of common visual symptoms, including eye strain, blurred vision, and photophobia, according to a study.

Conducted with 6078 patients (3920 women, mean age 49.0 ± 20.4 years), the research focused on consecutive first-visit outpatients with best-corrected visual acuity better than 20/30 in both eyes, excluding those with a history of intra-ocular lens implantation and glaucoma.

The prevalence of each symptom was found to be 31.8% for eye strain, 22.5% for blurred vision, and 16.0% for photophobia. Notably, short tear break-up time (TBUT), superficial punctate keratitis (SPK), and thickness of ganglion cell complex (GCC) emerged as significant risk factors for eye strain, with respective odds ratios (OR) of 1.88, 1.44, and 1.30.

For blurred vision, short TBUT (OR 1.85), SPK (OR 1.24), and GCC (OR 0.59) played pivotal roles as risk factors. Conversely, Schirmer test value, peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness, and full macular thickness did not demonstrate associations with the tested symptoms.

Finally, in terms of photophobia, short TBUT (OR 1.77) and SPK (OR 1.32) were identified as the main risk factors.

These findings not only highlight the prevalence of these common visual symptoms but also underline the importance of factors like tear break-up time and superficial punctate keratitis in their manifestation.

Reference
Ayaki M, Kuze M, Negishi K. Association of eye strain with dry eye and retinal thickness. PLoS One. 2023;18(10):e0293320. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293320. PMID: 37862343; PMCID: PMC10588844.