Factors affecting end-of-day comfort of soft contact lens wearers

Abstract

Objective: To determine the decrease in end-of-day comfort for soft contact lens (CL) wearers and to investigate its association with lens materials and power, lens dehydration with wear and lens care product. Methods: Forty-five neophyte CL wearers were fitted with a daily disposable lens (nelfilcon-A or stenofilcon-A or nesofilcon-A) in one eye and a monthly disposable lens (lotrafilcon-B or comfilcon-A or balafilcon-A) in the other eye for three months. OPTIFREE-Puremoist solution was provided as lens care product for the first two months but for the third month, either OPTIFREE-Puremoist or AOSEPT was provided. Level of comfort was evaluated subjectively two times a day (after lens insertion and before removal), every day on a 100 division scale. The comparison was made between the first and third months, in the morning and at the end-of-day. Correlation of average comfort level and reduction in end-of-day comfort was determined with lens dehydration, lens materials and dioptric power. Effect of lens care products was also determined. Results: End-of-day comfort reduced significantly (p<0.001). It was not correlated with the power of lenses and initial comfort (p>0.05), but was associated with lens materials (p<0.05). Nelfilcon-A lens maintained the similar comfort level throughout the day. Reduction in end-of-day comfort was not correlated with lens dehydration after wear (p=0.102), but it was less with peroxide care system than with polyquad based solution (p=0.034). Conclusion: End-of-day comfort decreases on soft CL wearers, which is associated with lens materials and care products. Peroxide system induces less reduction in end-of-day comfort.