Search Results (6)

Tear osmotic pressure, tear volume, and quality were measured before and after subjects without dry eye syndrome ate fried chicken slices for one week. By analyzing the data, we explored the causes of temporary dry eye syndrome. A 2 mL volume of normal saline was added to fluorescent tear test paper, which was applied to the conjunctiva of the subject, and the tear breakup time and tear lake height were measured with a digital slit lamp. The tear test paper was placed on the outside of the subject’s lower eyelid to test their tear volume. A total of 29 subjects, aged between 20 and 55 years old, ate fried foods for one week. The amount of tears produced before and after they ate fried chicken slices was tested using paired samples t-tests. The tear volume in the left and right eyes decreased at a significance level of p < 0.05. The tear membrane breakup time before and after treatment was analyzed using fluorescent reagents and digital slit lamps. The paired-sample t-test results showed that there was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Eating fried chicken slices for a week significantly contributed to dry eyes, regardless of gender and age. Full article

This study investigates the effects of levator advancement, with and without upper blepharoplasty, on dry-eye symptoms in patients with unilateral ptosis. A total of 92 patients were included, divided into three groups based on surgical intervention: Group A (ptosis correction alone), Group B (ptosis correction with blepharoplasty), and Group C (blepharoplasty alone). Dry-eye parameters were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 1, 3, and 6 months using Tear Break-Up Time (TBUT), Schirmer test, corneal and conjunctival staining, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. Our findings indicate that patients in Groups A and B exhibited a temporary increase in dry-eye symptoms, with the most significant effects observed in Group B at the 1- and 3-month follow-ups. By 6 months, dry-eye parameters in all groups returned close to baseline levels, underscoring the reversible nature of these symptoms. This study highlights the importance of preoperative counseling regarding potential temporary dry-eye symptoms, particularly for patients undergoing combined ptosis and blepharoplasty procedures. The results support the safety of these surgical approaches, provided there is appropriate patient monitoring and management to ensure symptom resolution over time. Full article

Background: The primary objective of this study was to assess the visual comfort and health impacts of stage lighting on attendees at summer festivals. Specifically, the study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of lighting, including natural, artificial, and stage lighting, on symptoms such as glare, eye strain, tearing, and temporary vision loss. Methods: A survey was conducted among attendees of various summer festivals in Portugal. Participants were asked about their perceptions of lighting conditions and the related visual symptoms they experienced. The survey addressed sensitivity to different types of lighting, the impact of smoke on eye discomfort, and potential strategies for improving visual comfort. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS^® v.27 to explore trends and correlations. Results: The findings indicated that cooler stage lighting was associated with a higher incidence of glare, with male participants reporting greater discomfort than females. However, there were no significant differences between gender, age, or refractive status when examining the effects of smoke on symptoms like dry eyes and tearing. Notably, participants aged 19–25 experienced more frequent tearing under stage lighting. Key recommendations included the use of high-quality LED lighting, supported by 44.81% of respondents, and the provision of low-light areas for visual rest, which 37.66% of participants deemed essential. Additional suggestions included minimizing intermittent lights and increasing the awareness of vision protection to improve visual comfort. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of optimizing stage lighting to enhance visual comfort at summer festivals. Festival organizers are encouraged to implement high-quality LED lighting and directional lighting technologies, as well as to create low-light zones for visual rest. Reducing the use of flashing or intermittent lights and providing eye protection information to attendees are also crucial steps to improve the overall visual experience and safeguard eye health at large-scale events. Full article

Disturbance or insufficiency of the tear film challenges the regulatory systems of the ocular surfaces. The reaction of the surfaces includes temporary mechanisms engaged in the preservation of homeostasis. However, strong or persisting challenges can lead to the potential exhaustion of the coping capacity. This again activates the vicious circle with chronic inflammation and autocatalytic deterioration. Hence, the factors challenging the homeostasis should be addressed in time. Amongst them are a varying osmolarity, constant presence of small lesions at the epithelium, acidification, attrition with mechanical irritation, and onset of pain and discomfort. Each of them and, especially when occurring simultaneously, impose stress on the coping mechanisms and lead to a stress response. Many stressors can culminate, leading to an exhaustion of the coping capacity, outrunning normal resilience. Reaching the limits of stress tolerance leads to the manifestation of a lubrication deficiency as the disease we refer to as dry eye disease (DED). To postpone its manifestation, the avoidance or amelioration of stress factors is one key option. In DED, this is the target of lubrication therapy, substituting the missing tear film or its components. The latter options include the management of secondary sequelae such as the inflammation and activation of reparative cascades. Preventive measures include the enhancement in resilience, recovery velocity, and recovery potential. The capacity to handle the external load factors is the key issue. The aim is to guard homeostasis and to prevent intercellular stress responses from being launched, triggering and invigorating the vicious circle. Considering the dilemma of the surface to have to cope with increased time of exposure to stress, with simultaneously decreasing time for cellular recovery, it illustrates the importance of the vicious circle as a hub for ocular surface stress. The resulting imbalance triggers a continuous deterioration of the ocular surface condition. After an initial phase of the reaction and adaption of the ocular surface to the surrounding challenges, the normal coping capacity will be exhausted. This is the time when the integrated stress response (ISR), a protector for cellular survival, will inevitably be activated, and cellular changes such as altered translation and ribosome pausing are initiated. Once activated, this will slow down any recovery, in a phase where apoptosis is imminent. Premature senescence of cells may also occur. The process of prematurization due to permanent stress exposures contributes to the risk for constant deterioration. The illustrated flow of events in the development of DED outlines that the ability to cope, and to recover, has limited resources in the cells at the ocular surface. The reduction in and amelioration of stress hence should be one of the key targets of therapy and begin early. Here, lubrication optimization as well as causal treatment such as the correction of anatomical anomalies (leading to anatomical dry eye) should be a prime intent of any therapy. The features of cellular stress as a key hub for the vicious circle will be outlined and discussed. Full article

Dry eye disease (DED) is a growing health concern that impacts millions of individuals every year, and is associated with corneal injury, excessive oxidative stress and inflammation. Current therapeutic strategies, including artificial tears and anti-inflammatory agents, are unable to achieve a permanent clinical cure due to their temporary nature or adverse side effects. Therefore, here, we investigated the effectiveness of the topical administration of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in the mouse model of DED. The model was generated in C57BL/6 mice by excising the extra orbital lacrimal gland and causing desiccation stress with scopolamine injections. Subsequently, either phosphate-buffered saline (3 µL/eye) or PD-L1 (0.5 µg/mL) was topically administered for 10 days. Tear volume was evaluated with phenol red thread, and corneal fluorescein staining was observed to quantify the corneal epithelial defect. Corneas were collected for histological analysis, and the expression levels of inflammatory signaling proteins such as CD4, CD3e, IL-17, IL-1β, pIkB-α, pNF-kB and pERK1/2 were assessed through immunofluorescence and Western blot techniques. Our results demonstrate that desiccating stress-induced corneal epithelial defect and tear secretion were significantly improved by topical PD-L1 and could reduce corneal CD4+ T cell infiltration, inflammation and apoptosis in a DED mouse model by downregulating IL-17 production and ERK1/2-NFkB pathways. Full article

There is a high incidence of ocular surface disease (OSD) in thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) patients as a result of incomplete eyelid closure and chronic inflammatory eyelid status. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of a lateral tarsoconjunctival flap (LTF) in improving OSD in TAO patients from the perspective of correcting eyelid closures. As a study design, TAO patients were enrolled in this study to evaluate OSD perioperatively before they were scheduled for LTF surgery. Additional lid surgery was also recorded. The outcome was evaluated with perioperative OSD measurements and tear inflammatory mediators at baseline and one month and three months postoperatively. As a result, 42 patients (5 male, 37 female) underwent LTF surgery, and 13 patients received medial pretarsal support with collagen grafts. Eleven patients underwent blepharotomy, and 6 patients received Botox injections for upper lid retraction. The mean age of the participants was 46.4 years old, and the mean follow-up period was 10.6 months. Their clinical activity score (CAS) at the time of the operation was 2.1. Dry eye parameters, such as ocular surface disease index, tear breakup time, Schirmer’s I test score, and meibomian gland dropout were all significantly improved 3 months postoperatively. Tear osmolarity and inflammatory mediators in tear fluid, such as IL-6, IL-8, IL-18 and MCP-1, were also significantly improved after the procedures. After the surgery, all complications were mild and temporary. As a conclusion, LTF could provide TAO patients with both lid retraction correction and improvement of ocular surface disorders. Dry eye parameters significantly improved 3 months postoperatively. This method can serve as an alternative treatment option for lid correction in TAO patients. Full article