Correlation Between Severity of Hypothyroidism and Tear Film Parameters in Affected Patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i2.2217Keywords:
Dry Eye, Hypothyroidism, Tear Film, TBUT Test, Schirmer’s TestAbstract
To evaluate the correlation between the severity of hypothyroidism and tear film parameters in affected patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted at University of Lahore teaching hospital, over six months. A total of 64 hypothyroid patients aged 18-65 years were selected using consecutive sampling. For data collection uses the OSDI (ocular surface disease index) questionnaire, Schirmer 1 test, and tear break-up time test TBUT to assess tear production and stability. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to minimize confounding factors. A total of 64 hypothyroidism patients were included, comprising 36 males (56.3%) and 28 females (43.8%) with a mean age of 39.19±11.84 years (range 18-65 years). The Shapiro-Wilk indicated non-normal data distribution (p<0.05). among ocular symptoms, dry eye was reported “always” by 31.3%, gritty/sandy sensation by 65.6%, and blurred vision by 64.1% of participants. Difficulties with reading (67.2%) and night driving (73.4%) were also frequent. No significant correlation was found between disease severity and tear function tests (p<0.05), though strong inter-eye consistency was observed for Schirmer (r=0.923) and TBUT (r=0.967) values. Hypothyroidism is strongly associated with increased dry eye symptoms, significantly impacting patients' daily activities and comfort. Regular ocular evaluation and timely management are essential to prevent chronic ocular surface complications in these patients.
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