Bausch + Lomb Combines Patient Voices and New Survey Insights to Combat Persistent Misconceptions about Dry Eye
- New survey data reinforces the importance of ongoing awareness and education to help dry eye sufferers seek relief sooner
- Eyes Tell the Story campaign aims to close the awareness gap through personal stories and portraits of those living with dry eye
- Additional information and dry eye resources available at KnowYourDryEye.com, including opportunity to share your own dry eye story
VAUGHAN, Ontario–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE/TSX: BLCO), a leading global eye health company dedicated to helping people see better to live better, today launched “Eyes Tell the Story: The Impact of Dry Eye.” The campaign aims to educate about dry eye through personal stories, compelling imagery and new survey data, and encourages people with symptoms to speak with their eye doctor to find relief.
Eyes Tell the Story builds upon Know Your Dry Eye, an educational campaign launched in 2024 that featured data and insights from the company’s first State of Dry Eye survey, which showed the majority of Americans may not know that their eye symptoms are associated with eye dryness, despite the growing prevalence of dry eye. This year’s survey, conducted among dry eye sufferers who are using either a prescription treatment or over-the-counter (OTC) product, further supports the need for more patient education and to dispel ongoing misconceptions surrounding dry eye. Key findings include:
- The majority (78%) of sufferers strongly or somewhat agree they wish they had more resources and education on dry eye
- Despite most sufferers feeling satisfied in their personal understanding of dry eye, 62% of sufferers mistakenly assume or aren’t sure if dry eye resolves itself after some treatment, including 68% of OTC users and 53% of prescription users
- 43% of sufferers incorrectly thought or weren’t sure dry eye was a temporary condition and 42% didn’t know or weren’t sure it requires long-term treatment
The cornerstone of Eyes Tell the Story is a collaboration with photographer and artist Kayte Demont, who has captured portraits of those like her who are living with the daily disruptions of dry eye symptoms. Featured in Kayte’s work are Alvin Wayne, an interior designer, lifestyle content creator and men’s health advocate whose dry eye symptoms are exacerbated by long working hours, and Brianne Manz, a fashion, lifestyle and parenting blogger, whose symptoms are aggravated by excessive screen time. Kayte, Alvin and Brianne are sharing their stories to help close the awareness gap that exists around dry eye.
This year’s campaignreinforces that there are a range of potential relief options available that may be appropriate depending on the cause, severity and frequency of dry eye symptoms. Dry eye can affect anyone. If someone is particularly aware of how their eyes feel, it may be a sign of dry eye symptoms, and it’s important to consult an eye doctor.
“Approximately 150 million U.S. adults experience occasional or frequent symptoms of dry eye, with around 38 million living with chronic dry eye, also known as dry eye disease,” said Yehia Hashad, MD, executive vice president, Research & Development and chief medical officer, Bausch + Lomb. “By spotlighting these personal stories, we hope to help more people recognize their dry eye symptoms sooner so they will seek and find relief.” 1,2
The survey also underscores the importance of encouraging proactive dry eye management and for patients to work with their eye doctor to determine the appropriate relief options:
- Findings show that despite experiencing symptoms of dry eye, 40% of dry eye sufferers waited six months or more before visiting an eye doctor
- 88% of those treated with a prescription strongly or somewhat agree that they wish they had started their prescription medication for dry eye sooner
- In general, dry eye sufferers want options that are tailored to their needs, with 71% noting the importance of a product that provides consistent relief over time and 50% most want treatment to address eye dryness
“Don’t delay,” said Hashad. “Relief can come in many forms – from over-the-counter drops and nutritional supplements to prescription treatments from a doctor – but the sooner you seek relief, the better.”
To learn more about the Eyes Tell the Story campaign, visit KnowYourDryEye.com, where you can find additional information and dry eye resources. You can also share your own dry eye story via the website, with the potential to be featured in next year’s Dry Eye Awareness Month (July) campaign.
About Dry Eye
Dry eye can be influenced by several factors, including lifestyle, medications, hormonal changes, age, environment and co-morbidities. It may be the result of the eyes not making enough tears or making poor quality tears that evaporate too quickly. The majority of those who progress to dry eye disease also have underlying inflammation. There are a range of options for managing dry eye symptoms, including over-the-counter eye drops, prescription medications and nutritional supplements.
About the Survey
The research was conducted online in the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of Bausch + Lomb among 732 U.S. adults aged 18 or older considered “DED sufferers” (defined as those who often/always experience eye dryness or have been diagnosed by a healthcare professional with dry eye disease). Of those 732,347 take only an over-the-counter product to treat their dry eye and 385 take a prescription medication for their dry eye. The survey was conducted between March 24 and April 21, 2025.
Data are weighted where necessary by age by gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, employment, household income and political party affiliation to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ±4.8 using a 95% confidence level for total dry eye sufferers, ±6.5 for Rx Users, and ±6.6 for OTC Only users. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the gift of sight for millions of people around the world – from birth through every phase of life. Its comprehensive portfolio of approximately 400 products includes contact lenses, lens care products, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products and ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Founded in 1853, Bausch + Lomb has a significant global research and development, manufacturing and commercial footprint with approximately 13,500 employees and a presence in approximately 100 countries. Bausch + Lomb is headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, with corporate offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.bausch.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
References
- MultiSponsor Surveys, Inc. The 2022 Study of Dry Eye Sufferers. August 2022.
- Ophthalmic Comprehensive Reports. DED 2020 Ophthalmic Landscape Report: Global Analysis for 2019 to 2025, April, 2021.
©2025 Bausch + Lomb.
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Kristy Marks
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