HEALTH & MEDICINE :: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2007
Newer Generation Contact Lenses Provide Better Comfort than Ever Before
Contact lenses have become extremely useful ophthalmic devices. Athletes rave about better peripheral vision, the nearsighted enjoy a lighter, thinner alternative to spectacles, early presbyopes welcome not having to reach for their “readers,” and some people just think they look better in contact lenses than glasses. The only problem is that some people cannot comfortably or practically wear contact lenses. Environmental pollutants, excessive computer use, intake of certain medications, allergies, and poor tear production cause comfort issues that can make many contact wearers discontinue use. Now, thanks to newer materials in soft disposable contact lenses, many people are getting a second chance at success.
In the past, if a patient desired a more comfortable lens, his or her few options included lower water-content lenses with low oxygen-transmissibility to the cornea. Even though mostly comfortable, those lenses should not have been worn for long periods of time, and definitely not overnight. Meanwhile, the higher-oxygenated lenses were healthier, but less comfortable. Many patients discontinued wearing their contacts because they could “feel” the lenses in their eyes, or because nothing better was available at the time.
Many contact lens companies have attempted to combat these comfort issues by promoting contact lenses with newer generation silicone hydrogel materials. The lenses balance increased oxygenation for health purposes along with comfort for longer wear. Studies have shown a marked improvement in contact lens tolerability with the silicone hydrogels and a decrease in redness, burning, itching, and dry-eye related signs and symptoms. Improved patient satisfaction has also been described in patients who work in dry environments, and desire longer wear times.
There are several brands currently available with silicone hydrogel material. The Acuvue Advance by Vistakon and the O2 Optix from Ciba Vision are two very popular two-week lenses. Both provide good visual clarity in a higher oxygenated lens, and improved comfort for longer wearing time. The Acuvue Advance also adds an ultraviolet protection on the lens. The O2 Optix boasts an aspheric design along with their silicone hydrogel benefits. This may provide crisper visual optics for the patient and in some cases may mask low amounts of astigmatism.
Vistakon also recently added the Acuvue Oasys. This is also a two-week disposable and one of the highest oxygen transmissible lenses. In a good number of cases, the Oasys has been found to be one of the most comfortable lenses reported by more severe environmentally challenged contact wearers. Those who may benefit are the computer enthusiasts who spend eight to ten hours per day staring at the monitor, frequent air travelers and those with dryer office environments.
Other popular lenses are the 30-day continuous wear silicone hydrogels. The Ciba Vision Night & Day lenses and Bausch & Lomb’s PureVision lenses have thus far stood the test of time in providing exceptional oxygenation to the cornea for extended wear. These lenses provide those who appreciate the convenience of sleeping in their contact lenses with more options than before. In previous years, most eye care professionals were hesitant to prescribe extended wear contacts due to the in-creased risk of corneal hypoxia, ulcers, and infection. The “hyper-oxygenation” of these types of silicone hydrogel lenses has changed that way of thinking. Many patients are reporting longer comfort time, even upon waking in the morning. Practitioners as a whole are also finding fewer incidents of corneal anomalies typically associated with extended wear.
Arguably, the healthiest contact lens is the daily disposable. This type can be worn for one day and then disposed that evening. Because of more frequent replacement of these lenses, they never stay on the eyes long enough to build up debris and impurities that can lead to infection and oxygen problems. Usually, the daily replacement is enough to help dry eye symptoms. Yet, some patients still experience shorter wear periods due to the high-water content of these lenses. The Acuvue Moist by Vistakon is a one-day lens in the silicone hydrogel material that provides both a healthier, frequently replaced lens along with superior comfort.
The silicone hydrogel revolution is upon us, and more and more patients are returning to contact lenses for improvement of their vision. Technology has answered the cries of contact lens wearers worldwide, who demand more comfortable lenses with superior optics and optimal health aspects.
Dr. Stewart is a part of the multi-specialty thirteen-physician team at Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants. For more information about this article or to schedule an appointment, call 302-479-EYES (3937) or visit us at www.delawareeyes.com. Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants has two convenient offices in Wilmington, and a third now open in Middletown. Each location offers full-service optical centers featuring affordable, fashionable frame designs and the latest in lens technology.
