Responses of contact lens wearers to a dry eye survey

The purpose of this study was to examine ocular symptoms that have been associated with dry eye among contact lens wearers. A dry eye questionnaire was administered at random to 83 contact lens wearers at a private practice in Toronto, Ontario. On average, the most frequent ocular symptom among those queried was dryness and the least frequent was soreness. There was a significant shift (p < 0.0001; paired t-test) toward increased symptoms in the evening compared with the morning. Blurry, changeable vision was also a frequent and noticeable symptom. However, most subjects reported that their ocular symptoms were not severe enough for them to stop work or hobbies or to remove their contact lenses. Our results show that the symptoms of ocular dryness and discomfort are relatively common among contact lens wearers, and that they worsen toward the end of the day. These findings suggest that lens care practitioners should examine their patients who wear contact lenses toward the end of the day to best identify symptomatic patients.