Department of Optometry, Sankara College of Optometry, Sankara Academy of Vision, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 Apr;71(4):1643-1646. doi: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_2597_22.
Dry eye is a common condition affecting people worldwide. It causes ocular discomfort by reducing the quality of vision and impacts daily activities. To overcome such ocular discomfort, artificial tears are used but it is difficult to use artificial tears every time to protect eyes from dryness. There is a need to explore other treatment options, which can be used during work hours. The aim was to study the effect of salivary stimulation on tear film functions among dry eye subjects.
Thirty-three subjects were enrolled in this prospective experimental study. Tear film function tests such as tear break up time (TBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), and Schirmer's I and II tests were conducted. For dry eye subjects, salivation was induced by giving a tamarind candy (a soft slightly sour tamarind pulp mixed with sugar) for 5 min. Tear film function tests were carried out within a few seconds (2 to 3 s) after finishing the candy and then after 30 and 60 min of the induction of salivation. The pre- and post-tear film function measurements were recorded and analyzed.
TBUT, TMH, and Schirmer's II tests showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase immediately and after 30 min of stimulation of salivation for all tests in both eyes. However, the difference was insignificant after 60 min of stimulation of salivation. Schirmer's I showed statistically significant changes in the left eye, but not in the right eye immediately after stimulation of salivation (P = 0.025).
The quantity as well as the quality of tear film improved after the stimulation of salivation among dry eye subjects.
干眼症是一种影响全球人群的常见疾病。它通过降低视觉质量引起眼部不适，并影响日常活动。为了克服这种眼部不适，人们使用人工泪液，但很难每次都使用人工泪液来保护眼睛免受干燥。因此需要探索其他治疗方案，可以在工作时间使用。本研究旨在探讨唾液刺激对干眼症患者泪膜功能的影响。
本前瞻性实验研究纳入了 33 名受试者。进行了泪膜功能测试，如泪膜破裂时间（TBUT）、泪膜高度（TMH）、Schirmer Ⅰ和Ⅱ测试。对于干眼症患者，给予罗望子糖（一种由糖混合的柔软微酸罗望子果肉）5 分钟以诱导唾液分泌。在吃完糖果后的几秒钟（2 到 3 秒）内以及唾液分泌诱导后 30 分钟和 60 分钟时进行泪膜功能测试。记录并分析测试前后的泪膜功能测量值。
TBUT、TMH 和 Schirmer Ⅱ测试在双眼所有测试中均显示出立即以及唾液刺激 30 分钟后的统计学显著（P < 0.05）增加。然而，刺激唾液 60 分钟后差异不显著。Schirmer Ⅰ在唾液刺激后左眼有统计学显著变化，但右眼无变化（P = 0.025）。
在唾液刺激后，干眼症患者的泪膜数量和质量均得到改善。
