One year after releasing its inaugural State of Dry Eye survey, Bausch + Lomb Corporation has unveiled the results from its 2025 survey.
Coinciding with this release: The company has also launched a new campaign targeting dry eye patient education.
First up, let’s talk about the current state of dry eye.
As Eyes On Eyecare recently reported in its 2025 Dry Eye Report, dry eye disease (DED) impacts an estimated 16 million Americans—with a potential further 30 to 49 million cases going undiagnosed.
- 8.4% of people < age 60
- 15% of people aged 70 to 79
- 20% of people > aged 80
These numbers are only projected to increase due to several factors impacting the development of ocular surface disease (OSD).
- Among those: Increasing screen time, changing environmental pressures (including social determinants), and an aging U.S. patient population
Check out all of our DED coverage (and see here for just research-based content on the topic).
Now to this survey.
Similar to last year’s survey, the 2025 dry eye survey was conducted among dry eye patients currently using either a prescription-based treatment or an over-the-counter (OTC) product to manage their symptoms.
Mores specifically: The research was conducted:
- Online, March 24 through April 21, 2025
- By The Harris Poll (on behalf of B+L) across the United States
- Among 732 adults (aged 18+) determined to be “DED sufferers”
- How this was defined: Those who often / always experience eye dryness or were diagnosed with DED by a healthcare provider
To note: Nearly half (47%) of these adults reported taking only an OTC product for their dry eye, while over half (53%) reported taking a prescription-based treatment.
And before we get into these results, how was the data weighted?
B+L indicated the data was weighted (where necessary) by several factors to align with actuarial proportions in the population, including:
- Age
- Gender
- Race/ethnicity
- Region
- Education
- Marital status
- Household size and income
- Employment
- Political party affiliation
Also: The sampling precision of this online poll was measured using a Bayesian credible interval; sample data is considered accurate to within ±4.8 with a 95% confidence level for total dry eye sufferers, ±6.5 for Rx Users, and ±6.6 for OTC-only users.
Now to the findings.
Three key results were evident based on participant responses, including:
- 40% of respondents reported waiting 6+ months before visiting an eye doctor—despite experiencing dry eye symptoms
- 50% shared that they most wanted a product to address eye dryness
- 71% noted the importance of a product’s ability to provide consistent relief over time
- 88% of those receiving prescription-based dry eye treatment indicated they strongly or somewhat agree they should have started their treatment earlier
And how do these responses compare to last year’s?
Those results focused more on dry eye patients’ knowledge and experience with the disease—with a vast majority (75%) of dry eye sufferers in 2024 sharing that they found the disease to be “extremely or very bothersome" in their daily life.
Further: Two-thirds of those respondents indicated they had cut back or given up on certain activities to relieve their symptoms.
See the full 2024 survey results.
So what’s B+L’s take on these most recent results?
The company noted that the patient responses “underscore the importance of encouraging proactive dry eye management and for patients to work with their eye doctor to determine the appropriate relief option.”
- Yehia Hashad, MD, B+L’s executive vice president, Research & Development, and chief medical officer, also advised patients: “Don’t delay. 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.”
Words to live by … now moving on to this campaign you mentioned.
Coinciding with these survey results is the launch of B+L’s Eyes Tell the Story: The Impact of Dry Eye campaign, an accompaniment to the company’s 2024-launched educational campaign: Know Your Dry Eye, which targets dry eye awareness.
About this new campaign: Its focus is on educating about dry eye through personal stories, imagery, and new survey data, as well as encouraging those with symptoms to speak with their eyecare provider to explore relief options.
Learn more about both campaigns.