Dry eye is disorder due to deficiency of tear film and is common amongst postmenopausal women. Aim is to establish occurrence and prevalence of dry eye in postmenopausal women in tertiary care centre in Central India. A Cross-sectional study was carried out on 150 post-menopausal women. All patients were recorded in a predesigned proforma and Ocular Surface Disease Index scoring was done. Visual acuity was assessed on Snellen’s chart and anterior segment evaluation was done using slit lamp biomicroscopy.Dry eye evaluation was done with Schirmer Test 1 and Tear film Break-Up time test. Corneal and conjunctival staining using flouroscein and Rose Bengal was performed. Assessment of meibomian gland function and grading of dry eye was done according to DEWS classification. Data was analyzed using Sta­tistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) standard version 13.0. T test. Chi square and Pearson correlation test was used for data analysis. Fifty two out of 150 post-menopausal women (34.6%) were found to have dry eyes. Prevalence of dry eye was maximum in age group>74 years (38.46%). Meibomian gland scores were normal in 28.84% of patients and abnormal in 71.15% patients. Most patients in present study had evaporative dry eye(46.15%),followed by mixed type(40.38%) and aqueous deficient(13.46%).Most of the patients in our study had mild dry eye(44.23%),followed by severe(32.69%) and 23.07% accounting for moderate dry eye. Present study reveal that dry eye symptoms are common problems in postmenopausal women. Hence, examination for dry eye should be integral part of postmenopausal women especially those having dry eye symptoms. It is important for primary care physicians to understand DED due to its high prevalence and potentially preventable and treatable nature of the condition.

Keywords: Dry eye, meibomian, tear film, postmenopausal, prevalence, Schirmer’s test.

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