ABSTRACT

Pur­po­se:

To compare the level and severity of dry eye between conventional hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lens users by using dry eye questionnaires and clinical tests.

Ma­te­ri­al and Met­hod:

Forty-two contact lens users who attended the Cornea and Contact Lens Unit, Department of Ophthalmology at Dokuz Eylül University, were included in this study. The first group consisted of subjects who have used conventional hydrogel (CHL) contact lens for minimum one year and maximum five years. The second group consisted of subjects who have used silicone hydrogel (SHL) contact lens for minimum one year and maximum 5 years. Twenty healthy individuals with no history of contact lens use were included in the control group. OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) questionnaire was performed to all patients. The tear function was determined by Schirmer’s test and tear break-up time in all three groups.

Re­sults:

There was no statistically significant OSDI score differences between CHL and SHL users. Nevertheless, it was noted that OSDI score in both groups was statistically higher than in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in tear break-up time between CHL and SHL users. On the other hand, tear break-up time was significantly lower in both groups when compared to the control group. There was no significant difference among the groups for Schirmer scoring.

Dis­cus­si­on:

The use of conventional hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses causes a decline in tear break-up time leading to dry eye symptoms. However, no differences were determined between CHL and SHL users with regard to the severity of dry eye symptoms.