Presbyopia and the aging eye:Existing refractive approaches and their potential impact on dry eye signs and symptoms

Abstract

Every part of the human body is subject to aging, including the eye. An increased prevalence of dry eye disease with age is widely acknowledged. Aging threatens ocular surface homeostasis, altering the normal functioning of the lacrimal functional unit and potentially leading to signs and symptoms of dry eye. Additional age-related processes take place within the crystalline lens, leading to presbyopia and cataractogenesis. Correction strategies for presbyopia and cataracts may directly or indirectly challenge the ocular surface. Contact lenses disturb the normal structure of the tear film and can interact negatively with the ocular surface, further deteriorating an already unbalanced tear film in presbyopes, however, newer contact lens designs can overcome some of these issues. Moreover, cataract and corneal refractive surgeries sever corneal nerves and disrupt the corneal epithelium and ocular surface, which can influence surgical outcomes and aggravate dryness symptoms in older age groups. This review summarises the current understanding of how the invasive nature of contact lens wear and cataract and refractive surgery influence signs and symptoms of ocular dryness in an aging population.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2019.08.005
Divisions: College of Health & Life Sciences > School of Optometry > Optometry
College of Health & Life Sciences > School of Optometry > Optometry & Vision Science Research Group (OVSRG)
College of Health & Life Sciences
Aston University (General)
Funding Information: The authors have no proprietary interest in any of the materials mentioned in this article. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 642
Additional Information: © 2019, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Uncontrolled Keywords: Contact lenses,Cornea,Dry eye,Presbyopia,Refractive surgery,Ophthalmology,Optometry
Publication ISSN: 1476-5411
Last Modified: 31 Oct 2024 08:34
Date Deposited: 03 Sep 2019 08:25
Full Text Link:
Related URLs: http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
https://www.sci ... 1778?via%3Dihub (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Review article
Published Date: 2020-04-01
Published Online Date: 2019-08-21
Accepted Date: 2019-08-21
Authors: Lafosse, E.
Wolffsohn, J. S. (ORCID Profile 0000-0003-4673-8927)
Talens-Estarelles, C.
García-Lázaro, S.

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