Clinical Effect Of Abdominal Acupuncture On Dry Eye Caused By Damp-heat In The Spleen And Stomach

ObjectiveTo observe and compare the improvement of clinical symptoms,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndromes,quality of life,dry eye-related sign(SIT,BUT,FL)and the severity of subjects with spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome dry eye disease(DED)by Sodium Hyaluronate Eye Drops(SHED)and SHED combined with abdominal acupuncture(AA)therapy.To evaluate the short-term and long-term efficacy and safety of two interventions,and to provide scientific and objective clinical basis for the application and promotion of AA in DED.MethodsA total of 65 the spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome DED subjects who met the criteria of this study were included.They were randomly assigned to the control group(SHED)and the experimental group(SHED with AA therapy),and in each group 30 subjects completed the trial.The study period was 6 weeks,the treatment period was 4 weeks,and the follow-up period was 2 weeks.The control group was administered 4 times a day(morning/noon/night/before going to bed),and the experimental group was treated with AA therapy 3 times a week(once every other day,and 2 days of rest in a week)on the basis of control group.The observed indicators included the subjects' symptom index,TCM syndrome score,quality of life score,treatment satisfaction score,tear secretion test(Schirmer I Test,SIT),tear break-up time(Tear Break-up Time,BUT)),corneal fluorescein staining(Fluorescein Stain Test,FL)and evaluation of the severity of dry eye.Result?Comparison within the group:At the end of the 4-week treatment,subjects of the two groups improved in subjective symptoms,TCM syndrome scores,quality of life scores,SIT,BUT,FL and dry eye severity,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).At the end of 2-week follow-up,subjects of the two groups improved in subjective symptoms,TCM syndrome scores and quality of life scores when comparing with those before treatment,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).?Comparison between groups:At the end of the 4-week treatment,there was no significant difference between the two interventions in improving the subjects' quality of life score and FL(P>0.05),but in terms of improving their subjective symptoms,TCM syndrome score,SIT,BUT and the severity of dry eye,the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).And subjects in experimental group were more satisfied with the treatment(P<0.05).At the end of the 2-week follow-up,there were differences in the improvement effects of subjective symptoms,TCM syndrome scores and quality of life scores in two groups,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).?Safety:No serious adverse events occurred in both groups,which indicated both interventions are safe to apply.Conclusion?Both interventions significantly improved the subjective ocular symptoms,TCM syndrome score,quality of life,tear secretion,tear film stability,corneal injuries and dry eye severity of subjects with spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome DED.?At the end of the 4-week treatment,the experimental group had better improvement effects on subjective ocular symptoms,TCM syndrome score,tear secretion,tear film stability,and dry eye severity than the control group,and participants in the experimental group more satisfied with the treatment.There was no significant difference in improving the subjects'quality of life and corneal injuries between two groups.?At the end of the 2-week follow-up,both groups of interventions had long-term improvement effects on subjects' eye symptoms,TCM syndrome scores and quality of life,and the experimental group was better than those of the control group.?AA combined with SHED and SHED alone are both safe in the treatment of spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome DED.