Presbyopes abandon contact lens wear for reasons other than dryness

Contact lens dropout in patients with presbyopia, which is usually attributed to dryness, is impacted by visual quality as well, according to a poster presented by Erin Rueff, OD, MS, at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in New Orleans.

Survey responses were compiled from 178 presbyopic patients who were examined at the Ohio State University College of Optometry over the last 4 years.

A total of 12.5% of subjects reported discontinuing contact lens wear. The primary reason for dropout for 54.5% was dryness, with poor vision as the second most common reason for 36.4%, according to researchers.

Artificial tear use was reported by 51.3%, with 25.6% reporting no symptom improvement after its use, as noted in the poster.

Researchers found no association between age, gender and contact lens discontinuation.

The most-often reported discomfort symptoms included dryness (44.1%), blurry/changeable vision (27.3%) and tired eyes (23.3%).

“In this presbyopic population, dissatisfaction with vision and discomfort were reported equally as often as the primary reason for discontinuation,” Rueff told Primary Care Optometry News.

Poor visual quality also contributes to dropout, according to researchers.

“Optometrists should pay attention to complaints of visual discomfort, not just dryness, when addressing contact lens complaints in this population that is notorious for dropout,” Rueff concluded. – by Abigail Sutton

Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.