Frequency of presenting clinical features of asthenopia (ocular fatigue) in refractive patients.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Asthenopia is tiredness, uncomfortable, ocular fatigue, decreased reading ability, blurred vision diplopia, irritation pain in and around the eye. The presence of one or more of these subjective symptoms that occur in subject with uncorrected refractive error or lowered amplitude of accommodation or muscle movement defect are considered as asthenopia.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the frequency of presenting clinical features of asthenopia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were selected from Mayo Hospital Lahore and College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Science, Lahore. Data were collected after informed consent from patients and I used a structured questionnaire with 11 multiple choice questions administered to all 30 patients of refractive error. All patients were examined according to the proforma. NPA & NPC were examined using RAF rule method. Visual acuity was measured and best correction were provided to all patients.

RESULTS: Out of the 30 patients 17(56.67%) were males and 13(43.33%) were females. Mean age of the patients was 36.57 years. Almost every patient presented with more than one complaint. Most frequent asthenopic symptoms were headache 28(93%), blurred vision 27(90%), Discomfort 27(90%) tiredness of eye 21(70%), Slowness of focus 23(78%). Less frequent symptoms reported by subjects with refractive error was burning eye (13%) neck pain (23%) diplopia (20%) back pain (6.7%). All refractive errors were in moderate to severe range, out of 30 patients’ 66.7% were in severe range and 33.3% in moderate range. 23.7% patients were myopic, (46.7%) were hypermetropic, 6.7% were astigmatic, 10.0% were anisometropia and 13.3% were presbyopic.

CONCLUSION: Headache and blurry vision were the most common complaints among subjects who participated in this study.