Health and Disability

Their research team evaluated 154 dry eye patients from the Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital. "Dry eye patients in our study reported higher levels of ocular and non-ocular pain associated with multiple chronic pain syndromes, and had lower scores on depression and quality-of-life indices consistent with a central sensitivity disorder," said Levitt, a professor and Vice Chair of Translational Research and Academic Affairs in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management. "We also suspect that neuropathic ocular pain may share causal genetic factors with other overlapping chronic pain conditions."

The American Eye Institute estimates that dry eye affects about 3 million Americans every year. When the eyes do not produce an adequate supply of tears or the tears evaporate too quickly from the surface of the cornea, patients develop an "itchy" or painful sensation. Left untreated, dry eye can lead to inflammation, ulcers or scars on the cornea.

"Patients' eyes may become hyper-sensitive to stimuli, such as wind or light, or have spontaneous pain such as a feeling of burning, which is typically associated with nerve injury," said Levitt.

"Traditionally, eye specialists have treated dry eye with artificial tears or topical medications for the surface of the cornea," said Galor. "However, even if these treatments improve some dry eye symptoms, many patients continue to report underlying ocular and non-ocular pain."