by Joel Harrison
6. May 2011 17:19
In his latest article, published in Contact Lenses Today, Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO, deals with the issue of which characteristics of contact lens materials eye care practitioners take into consideration when trying to help patients complaining about the symptoms of dry eye. According to Nichols, ophthalmologists used to focus mostly on oxygen permeability, but now they take several other factors into account.
Nichols bases his claim on an opinion poll carried out by Contact Lenses Today, in which eye care practitioners stated which contact lens material characteristic they considered the most important in helping patients to overcome their dryness and discomfort. What is surprising, the highest number of respondents (33%) believed slipperiness to be the most important characteristic, while almost as many (32%) considered deposit resistance even more important. Oxygen permeability was only third on the list (23%).
Deposit resistance and low friction, Nichols concludes, seem to have gained significance to practitioners, which also means that eye care specialists have a much broader view of their patients’ problems.
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