Low Awareness of Dry Eye Symptoms a Worldwide Dilemma

Despite geographic and healthcare differences, DED sufferers across all surveyed regions share a substantial and under-recognized symptom burden, low disease awareness and limited satisfaction with current care. Click image to enlarge. With an aging population, alongside challenges that modern lifestyles present to the ocular surface, dry eye is a rapidly growing burden on individual patients and the healthcare system as a whole. The condition’s real-world burden and unmet needs vary globally. A recent analysis that was presented at ARVO 2026 compares findings from two complementary surveys: (1) a study of US adults and (2) a five-country study conducted in the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Saudi Arabia. Both surveys involved both the general population and self-identified dry eye disease (DED) sufferers. Across all regions, people reported limited understanding of what causes dry eye, how it progresses or how to manage it effectively. Many were frustrated with their current treatments and the help they receive.“Variation in eyecare professional (ECP) engagement suggests opportunities for region-specific strategies, while the universal trends highlight a global need for earlier recognition, improved patient education and more proactive management of DED,” the study team wrote in their abstract.Both studies used online, cross-sectional surveys administered to adults 18 years old and older. The US study (n=2,003; 461 participants) assessed symptom burden, knowledge, treatment use, and interactions with ECPs. The multinational study was conducted in two phases: the general population (Phase I, n=2,580) and individuals with regular symptoms of DED (Phase II, n=2,572) to characterize prevalence, symptom severity, self-care and professional care.Across both studies, dryness and ocular fatigue emerged as highly prevalent, bothersome symptoms. In the overall US population, approximately 50% reported suffering eye dryness, with 15% experiencing symptoms regularly. This is consistent with the multinational finding that ~25% of adults experienced regular symptoms, nearly half of whom reported them daily. Three unmet needs were consistent across all countries: (1) limited awareness of DED causes, consequences, and treatment options; (2) delayed or infrequent ECP engagement; and (3) dissatisfaction with current management and uncertainty regarding long-term care.Certain country differences were notable: ECP visits at least once a year for DED sufferers ranged from 40% in France to over 70% in the US and Saudi Arabia, paralleling differences in professional diagnosis of dry eye.The team concluded that, overall, dry eye remains widely misunderstood and undertreated.Original abstract ©2026 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.Click here for the source. Ryan R, Wozniak P, Labetoulle M, Donnenfeld E. Global unmet needs in dry eye: a comparative assessment across the United States and five international populations. ARVO 2026 annual meeting. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.