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Digital devices contribute to ocular discomfort, ECPs report
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DENVER – The use of digital devices causes visual glare and increases dryness and eye strain, according to a press release issued by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. at the American Academy of Optometry meeting.
"Digital devices such as computers, smart phones and tablets are playing an ever-increasing role in daily life for people of all ages,” Brian Pall, OD, MS, FAAO, and senior principal research optometrist for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. (JJVCI), said in the release. “The research highlights that digital device use appears to be a major contributing factor to the progression of contact lens dryness, which can lead to reduced wearing time and even discontinuation of contact lens wear. To help avoid dropouts, practitioners should routinely talk to patients about more comfortable lens wear options that are well-suited to their digital lifestyle."
JJVCI conducted a study involving two online surveys administered in 2013, according to the release. The first survey questioned 254 optometrists in the U.S. on the effects of digital devices. The second survey involved 1,020 contact lens wearers in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Japan.
Results showed that optometrists felt strongly about the effects of digital device usage in their patients: 96% said they increased dryness, 94% said they added strain and 87% said they caused visual glare.
Additionally, 100% of contact lens wearers responded that they use digital devices for at least 2 hours a day; 48% experience more dryness and 50% experience more tiredness when using a digital device.
Participants also answered questions about how they manage the discomfort: 67% remove their contact lenses with discomfort and 70% use rewetting drops when they experience dryness, but 63% said that rewetting drops only helped temporarily. Survey results showed that 42% of participants who utilized rewetting drops would pay more for contact lenses that required fewer drops.
According to the release, 60% of contact lens wearers who wore the Acuvue Oasys lenses reported rarely or never experiencing ocular discomfort while using a digital device.
Disclosure: Pall is an employee of JJVCI.