From the Guidelines
Contact lenses are a highly effective and popular means of correcting refractive errors, with over 140 million users worldwide, as reported in the 2023 study by 1. They serve as an alternative to eyeglasses by floating on the tear film covering the cornea, and come in various types including soft lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, and specialty lenses like toric lenses for astigmatism or multifocal lenses for presbyopia. The most recent and highest quality study, 1, highlights the importance of proper contact lens care, including regular cleaning, appropriate wearing schedules, and routine eye exams to maintain eye health and prevent complications like infections or corneal damage. Some key points to consider when using contact lenses include:
- The type of contact lens selected, such as soft hydrogel, rigid gas-permeable, silicone hydrogel, or hybrid, depends on the needs of an informed patient, as stated in 1.
- Proper contact lens care involves a combination of cleaning, disinfecting, rinsing, and wetting solutions, as outlined in 1.
- Daily disposable contact lenses are the safest lenses with the lowest rate of complications associated with soft contact lens wear, according to 1.
- Hydrogen peroxide systems are superior to multipurpose solutions for reducing the likelihood of infections or inflammatory complications, as reported in 1. Overall, contact lenses offer numerous benefits, including unobstructed peripheral vision, no fogging in temperature changes, compatibility with active lifestyles, and cosmetic options to change eye color, making them a viable option for individuals with refractive errors, as supported by the studies 1.
From the Research
Contact Lenses: General Introduction and Role
- Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide for various applications, including vision correction, therapeutics, and cosmetics 2.
- The medical use of contact lenses provides a solution for many complex ocular conditions, such as high refractive error, irregular astigmatism, primary and secondary corneal ectasia, disfiguring disease, and ocular surface disease 3.
- Contact lens technology has evolved significantly over time to minimize adverse effects associated with contact lens wearing, maintain regular corneal metabolism, and preserve tear film stability 2.
Applications of Contact Lenses
- Vision correction: contact lenses are used to correct various refractive errors, including presbyopia, which is a age-related condition that affects near vision 4.
- Therapeutics: contact lenses are used to treat various ocular conditions, such as persistent epithelial defects, corneal dystrophies, and ocular surface disease 3.
- Cosmetics: contact lenses are used to change the appearance of the eyes for cosmetic purposes 2.
Benefits of Contact Lenses
- Contact lenses provide a convenient and comfortable alternative to glasses for vision correction 2.
- Contact lenses can be used to treat various ocular conditions, improving the quality of life for patients with these conditions 3.
- Contact lenses can be used for therapeutic applications, such as drug delivery and wound healing 3.