Purpose: To evaluate the effect of moisture chamber spectacles (MCS) on tear functions in dry eye subjects.
Methods: In this short-term study, 30 subjects with dry eye were recruited and randomly divided into two groups. Fifteen subjects (MCS group) were instructed to wear the appropriately sized MCS for a total of 90 min. Another 15 subjects (control group) received a drop of sterile nonpreserved 0.9% sodium chloride solution immediately after baseline measurement. Ocular comfort, tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT), tear film lipid layer, and conjunctival hyperemia were evaluated in both groups at 15-min intervals for a period of 90 min (baseline and 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min).
Results: There were significant improvements in ocular comfort, TMH, NIBUT, and lipid layer in the MCS group compared with those in the control group (p < 0.05). After wearing MCS, values of ocular comfort, TMH, NIBUT, and lipid layer continuously increased across time and reached the maximum at 60 min and then slowly decreased but still remained higher (p < 0.05) than baseline values. No significant differences were observed in conjunctival hyperemia in either group or between groups across time (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: Wearing MCS provided improvement in ocular comfort and tear film stability. Moisture chamber spectacles seem to be a safe and promising alternative treatment for dry eye, especially for patients who work in adverse environmental conditions.