Tinted contact lenses discreetly manage photophobia

Tinted contact lenses may help children with intense photophobia discreetly manage their condition, avoiding social stigma associated with more conspicuous alternatives such as sunglasses or floppy hats, a case series suggests.

Saul N. Rajak, MRCOphth, and colleagues at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton, England, evaluated the use of Lunelle ES70 Solaire 70% brown contact lenses in three children aged 5 to 13 years who had stationary cone dystrophies and resultant photophobia. Parents completed two Children's Visual Function Questionnaires — one regarding their child's use of tinted glasses and the second regarding use of the contact lenses.

Two children and their parents subjectively reported a "striking" improvement in the quality of life from using the contact lenses. Specifically, they reported a cessation in both name-calling and bullying, according to Mr. Rajak and colleagues.

Objective data from the questionnaires supported the improvement for one child, "and was not statistically significant in other," the authors said. A third child was reluctant to wear the contact lenses despite being encouraged to do so by her parents, the authors noted.

The case series is published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.