Hydrogel lens dehydration and subjective comfort and dryness ratings in symptomatic and asymptomatic contact lens wearers.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether lens dehydration correlates with discomfort, dryness, and noninvasive tear break-up time in symptomatic and asymptomatic contact lens wearers and whether dehydration of the two lens types varies.


METHODS
Twenty hydrogel contact lens wearers with dryness-related symptoms and 20 asymptomatic wearers wore an Etafilcon A lens (Acuvue; Vistakon, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida) in one eye and an Omafilcon A lens (Proclear; Biocompatibles, Norfolk, Virginia) in the contralateral eye for 7 h in a randomized, double-masked study. Lens water content was measured before and after 7 h of lens wear and prelens noninvasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT) was measured immediately after insertion and after 5 h of lens wear. Subjective comfort and dryness were rated at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 h of lens wear.


RESULTS
The symptomatic group had significantly reduced prelens NIBUT, decreased comfort, and increased dryness, but there was no difference between lenses for these variables. The Omafilcon A lenses dehydrated significantly less than the Etafilcon A lenses, but there was no significant difference in lens dehydration between two subject groups.


CONCLUSIONS
No correlation was found between lens dehydration and subjective dryness and comfort. Symptomatic hydrogel contact lens wearers with decreased wearing time had measurably decreased comfort, increased dryness ratings, and reduced NIBUT.
Fonn
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Centre for Contact Lens Research, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. dfonn@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca
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Simpson
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D000328:Adult; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003681:Dehydration; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology