[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6150-S6151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DRY EYE AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I rise to call attention to an 
important but often overlooked chronic illness: dry eyes. The Sjogren's 
Syndrome Foundation and National Women's Health Resource Center have 
declared July Dry Eye Awareness Month.
  Every year, chronic dry eye syndrome affects nearly 10 million 
Americans of all ages; many sufferers will go undiagnosed. Without 
tears, good vision is impossible. Dry eye syndrome can cause 
devastating symptoms, including constant pain, an inability to focus, 
and, in severe cases, serious visual impairment. It can significantly 
affect a person's quality of life, increasing the risk of problems with 
reading, professional work, computer use, and night driving.
  Americans suffering with dry eye syndrome either do not produce 
enough tears, or have poor quality tears and/or excessive tear 
evaporation. Either problem causes their eyes to sting and burn, feel 
scratchy, become irritated, or excessively tear. Most people with

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dry eye find the condition to be an uncomfortable nuisance, with many 
characteristics of a ``chronic pain'' type of syndrome.
  One study showed that dry eye patients experienced an average of 184 
days of reduced productivity in a year. Although dry eye syndrome 
cannot be cured, there are a variety of available treatments. However 
many people with dry eye continue to suffer needlessly because they are 
unaware of their options. Both dry eye and Sjogren's seriously endanger 
women's health.
  Sjogren's syndrome is a painful and debilitating autoimmune disease 
which causes the immune system to attack its own lubricating glands, 
such as tear and salivary glands. Sjogren's is one of the most 
prevalent autoimmune disorders, and although it affects people of all 
ages, 9 out of 10 patients are women, and the average age of onset is 
late forties. The hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, but 
Sjogren's may also cause dryness of other organs, affecting the 
kidneys, GI tract, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the 
central nervous system. Patients with Sjogren's syndrome are also 40 
times more likely to develop lymphoma.
  Marking July as Dry Eye Awareness Month will bring more attention to 
this widespread and potentially debilitating condition. I thank the 
Minnesota members of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation and the National 
Women's Health Resource Center for bringing this issue to my attention 
and thank them for their efforts to educate the public about this 
serious health concern.

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