Investigation of Dry Eye Frequency and Rısk Factors in Indıvıduals Living in Aydıntepe

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the frequency and risk factors of dry eye in individuals living in Aydıntepe district of Bayburt.\rMethod: The population of the study, which is descriptive and cross-sectional, consists of 2100 people registered in Aydıntepe Community Health Center, and the sample consists of 350 people aged 15 and over who accept the study, who do not have understanding and perception problems. Data; The months of November 2019-July 2020 were obtained using the "Introductory Information Form", "Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire" and "Schirmer Test". The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS program.\rResults: 42.0% of the participants had chronic disease, 66.3% had regular medication and 62.6% had eye disease, according to the OSDI survey, 29.4% had mild, 22.0% had moderate, and 21.4% had severe dryness. It was found that severe dry eye symptoms were most common in participants aged 65 years and older (38.1%), those who stated that they experienced dry nose and throat (34.6%), and those with a chronic disease (35.4%). There was no difference in dry eye symptoms according to gender (p> 0.05). \rConclusion: It has been concluded that most of the individuals living in Aydıntepe District of Bayburt and participating in the study have different levels of dry eye, and the incidence of dry eye is higher in elderly individuals and those with any chronic disease.