Teenagers who wear contact lenses will experience an improvement in quality of life during the first month of wear however follow-up within the first two weeks of starting wear is important to address any concerns, according to a study published in Optometry and Vision Science.
The open-label, controlled, randomised study evaluated clinical and subjective quality-of-life measurements for spectacles and contact lenses in teenage patients. It found that contact lens wearers experienced improved “appearance, satisfaction, activities and peer perceptions, without negatively impacting vision or eye health. Moreover, teenagers were able to handle contact lenses with the same amount of confidence as when handling spectacles”.
The study involved 97 participants, aged 13 to 19 years old, who were divided into two groups. One group wore spectacles and the other wore Alcon Dailies AquaComfort Plus contact lenses for six months. None of the participants had worn contact lenses prior to the study.
The study found there were similarities between both groups in terms of visual acuity and biomicroscopy assessments however more participants in the contact lens group discontinued wear compared to those in the spectacles group.
Teenagers in the contact lens group experienced adaptation issues within the first month of wear that were similar to the issues experienced by adults wearing silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
The researchers noted that, “a follow-up visit within two weeks of starting contact lens wear is likely to be important to address any queries that a new wearer might have (e.g., comments on lens comfort) and to maximise the likelihood of contact lens success..
They concluded: “Results from the present study showed that nelfilcon A daily disposable contact lenses are suitable for vision correction for teenagers, offering improvements in quality of life measures during the first month of wear, including appearance, satisfaction, activities and peer perceptions, without negatively impacting vision or eye health. Moreover, teenagers were able to handle contact lenses with the same amount of confidence as when handling spectacles.”
The study was sponsored by Alcon.
