A new analysis suggests there's an association between these two diseases. Women with migraine had a 20 percent higher risk of also having dry eye disease than those without migraine, according to a JAMA Ophthalmology study published online on March 7.

Previous Research

Dry eye disease, which is characterized by discomfort, visual disturbances, and other ocular problems, affects 8 to 34 percent of the general population.

Studies have demonstrated that dry eyes are more common in those with chronic pain conditions like migraine than in those without. Moreover, the frequency of dry eyes has been shown to increase as the number of chronic pain conditions increases, suggesting dry eyes may indicate the presence of a chronic pain condition.

A Closer Look

To explore the association between migraine and dry eye disease, a team of researchers conducted a 10-year study of 72,969 adults (57 percent men and 42 percent women) seen at ophthalmology clinics in North Carolina from May 1, 2008, through May 31, 2018 and who were identified as having migraine and/or dry eye disease.

After adjusting for age and sex, the researchers also adjusted for confounding factors associated with dry eye disease, such as the use of specific medications, including tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, or diuretics; a history of rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren disease, or lupus; and a history of cataract or refractive surgery.

Overall, 7.3 percent of patients experienced migraine headaches and 13.2 percent had been diagnosed with dry eye disease.

Risk Factors for Dry Eye Disease

Men 65 years old or older who had migraines had double the risk of dry eye disease; women of the same age had 2.5 times the risk.

After accounting for age and sex, the odds of having dry eye disease were 1.72 times higher for those with migraine than those without.

When the researchers excluded individuals with confounding factors associated with dry eye disease, the odds of having dry eye disease were 1.42 times higher for those with migraine than those without migraine.

Inflammation-Related

The researchers theorize that "underlying inflammatory processes" may play a significant role in how these disorders are manifested. "Inflammatory changes in dry eye disease may trigger similar events in neurovascular tissue, leading to the development and propagation of migraine headaches."

Or, the excessive dryness of the eye's surface might affect key nerve pathways that could subsequently trigger migraines, they suggest.

Caution Advised

The link between migraine and dry eye disease may not reflect a cause-and-effect relationship if unidentified confounders account for the connection.

However, the researchers conclude, doctors who care for patients with either one of these conditions should be aware that their patients may be at a higher risk for the other.