For practitioners managing contact lens-wearing dry eye patients, daily disposable lenses represent more than convenience; they offer a potential for a therapeutic advantage. This is often overlooked when it comes to practitioners’ clinical decision-making. Although dry eye disease (DED) and contact lens wear have historically been viewed as incompatible, clinical experience suggests that daily disposables may improve comfort in this often-challenging patient population.

As eyecare professionals understand, DED or ocular surface disease (OSD) is a multifactorial condition. Due to the multifactorial nature, daily disposable contact lenses may help in these ways:

1. Daily replacement contact lenses minimize the potential for contact lens surface deposits, which occur more often with reusable lenses. By minimizing the potential ocular surface interaction with those deposits, the potential for an inflammatory event caused by denatured proteins is minimized.¹ Additionally, daily disposable lenses remove the possibility of preservative-induced toxicity from contact lens care solutions.

1. Recent innovations in daily disposable lens technology have enhanced their suitability for dry eye patients. A variety of enhancements can increase the surface water content and incorporate wetting agents to help provide sustained lubrication throughout the wearing day. Additionally, materials that have inherently low modulus reduce mechanical irritation in eyes that are already compromised by the inflammation associated with OSD.

Having a fresh lens surface every morning with optimal wettability can help mean the difference between successful contact lens wear vs a contact lens dropout. For many patients, the elimination of cleaning solutions, the convenience of a fresh lens every day, along with the reduced need for rewetting drops make this modality the prime option.

References

1. Wagner H. The How and Why of Contact Lens Deposits. Rev Cornea Contact Lens. 15 May 2020.  

This content supported by Alcon.