"The Economic Burden of Dry Eye"

[Scout]

From Cornea: The Journal of Cornea and External Disease
November 2004, 23:8

The Economic Burden of Dry Eye: A Conceptual Framework and Preliminary Assessment

Excerpt:

Results: Direct resource utilization among dry eye sufferers includes healthcare professional visits, nonpharmacological therapies, pharmacological treatments, and surgical procedures, with the latter 2 categories being the major cost drivers. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are a newly recognized component of the dry eye economic burden. There is wide variation in patterns of diagnosis and treatment, but current therapies are not universally effective. Given the prevalence of the condition, indirect costs may be large. Utilization of pharmacological therapies, especially those other than tear replacements, the extent of CAM use, cost of complications of surgical procedures, and indirect costs are unknown. The natural history and probability that patients will transition between therapies, based on underlying disease severity, need to be elucidated.

Conclusions: Dry eye is a prevalent condition with the potential for a high economic burden; additional studies are needed to further characterize the economic impact.

[Lucy]

Finally someone put it down on paper.

I am but one example, but I use approximately $275 worth of eye drops per month. This includes Restasis and Acular, which together are $200.

It doesn't take a genius to add this up to $3,300 per annum.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, some smart one will say."well, you haven't taken Restasis for 5 years."
This is correct, but for over 5 years I've spent fistfuls of money on dry eyes. Of course, the doctor visits, lid scrubs, drops, ointments, time off work, etc are hard to calculate. All the dry eye people know what I'm talking about.

If my doctor had told me prior to lasik that I'd be spending the amount of a car payment every month for eye drops, I would have declined. But, I drive a '99 el' cheapo car with almost 100,000 miles on the odometer. One could say that's the trade off for dry eyes. It sucks, huh?

[Cindy]

I dare say that with all of the dry eye gizmos and gadgets some of us have collected and paid a bazillion dollars for over the years we could have an interesting 'swap meet'. I'd trade my Tranquileyes for Lucy's vibrating face mask .

A few years ago a bunch of us in Michigan got together and brought our dry eye products/rejects to a kind of 'show and tell'. It was a riot. Visors, hats, goggles, glasses, sleep masks, gel packs, face masks...every little kid in the restaurant coveted that vibrating Star Wars-looking face mask.

[Lucy]

I wonder what my (lasik) dr would think if I wore it and sat in his waiting room?

[dianat]

I want a vibrating Star Wars face mask!!

[Raj]

If you want to figure out what the real loss is, imagine if the money spent on fancy eyedrops were put into a mutual fund IRA for 30 years. You'd retire a millionaire.

Raj

[Jeff]

Lucy if you go into your Dr.s office wearing the mask I would love to be there. I would love to give the explanation as to why the strange attire exsists. It could be the best day I've had since my LASIK expierience.

As for the amount of money to be made on the IRA, I'll bet the Dr's involved could help with that one. I wonder how many of them also have marketed an eye drop. Thanks for the laugh/tears I needed that right now.

Jeff

[Kyle]

I have to agree. After an extremely tough couple of weeks in and out of the doctors office for yet another infection..it was nice to pop on here and read the exchange between Lucy and Diana. You two never fail to make me laugh....which is a GOOD thing these days!

Hey, if anyone does get a swap meet like that together I want to be invited!

[dianat]

Hey, I wasn't even trying to be funny. If it vibrates, I WANT it!

And, man, am I ever a Star Wars fan. And Homes, I was ALIVE when the first ones were released. I'll bet you were just a mere egg in the ovary. And, Kyle, if you ever see James Earl Jones, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Ewan McGregor or any of the cast...I need an autograph or a lock of hair...something!

Lastly, if anybody ever sees a Star Wars-looking vibrating mask...I need to have it. I keep my kids on their toes in the craziest ways. The mileage I could get out of such a thing...

[Lucy]

Diana, one time earlier you mentioned that you wanted a Star Wars Mask and I tried to find you a website. I never found the website. I just tried again to search for the vibrating mask.

Guess what?????? Since I bought my mask 4 years ago, the word(s) mask have taken on a whole new meaning. All I pull up are kinky sites advertising "vibrating and mask stuff." I have my mask and if you lived near me, I'd let you "see" it. I never use it, however, hesitate to just send it off to you as a gift. I might be sorry. If we ever meet, I'll bring the mask. The airlines would pull me aside, I'm sure.

[dianat]

You should hang onto your mask, Lucy, I agree. Airline security will indeed love you for it one day. I just hope I can be there to see it. With all your other dry-eye paraphernalia tucked here and there, I'm sure you could certainly look to be some creepy terrorist. Add blood serum drops and testosterone cream to that and they'll know you're a bona fide weirdo.

Sorry you tainted those virgin eyes of yours in your internet searching. I guess after Lasik they're hardly virgin anymore, are they? My husband who's a programmer/database/techie/geek did an internet query in search of a new "hard drive" for his computer and had similar results to your vibrating mask. The only shameful part of it was that he happened to be at work at the time...not the ideal thing for a guy wanting to keep his job.

Unfortunately, he kept his job and the money was there for me to get LASIK. Damn.

[homes]

Hey, I wasn't even trying to be funny. If it vibrates, I WANT it!

And, man, am I ever a Star Wars fan. And Homes, I was ALIVE when the first ones were released.

lmfao. wish i was in your shoes, i am a big star wars fanatic/geek myself.