Bausch + Lomb Combines Patient Voices and New Survey Insights to Combat Persistent Misconceptions about Dry Eye

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VAUGHAN, Ontario — 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.

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Eyes Tell the Story

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builds upon

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, an educational campaign launched in 2024 that featured data and insights from the company’s first

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, 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:

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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.

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This year’s campaign reinforces 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.

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“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:

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“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.”

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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.

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About Dry Eye

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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.

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About the Survey

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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.

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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.

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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.