The Impact of Contact Lens Duration on Ocular Discomfort

INTRODUCTION: To compare contact lens discomfort (CLD) using the Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire (CLDEQ-8) questionnaire in short and long-term CL wearers.
METHODS: This prospective study included 98 patients who applied to the Department of Ophthalmology of Ufuk University between January 2020 and January 2021 and had a history of wearing contact lenses for over a month. Participants who wore contact lenses (CL) for six months or less were categorized as short-term CL users, while those who wore them for more than six months were categorized as long-term CL users. Contact lens compliance and the CLDEQ-8 questionnaire results were compared between the groups.
RESULTS: The mean age was 21.70±2.81 years in 55 short-term CL wearers, and 80% were female. In 43 long-term CL wearers, the mean age was 28.69±8.48 years, and 86% were female (respectively, p<0.001, p=0.592). The duration of CL wear was 2.36±1.06 months in short-term CL wearers and 10.11±5.6 months in long-term CL wearers (p<0.001). The mean CLDEQ-8 score was 11.52±6.59 in short-term CL wearers and 14.37±6.55 in long-term CL wearers (p=0.015). In addition, 40% of short-term and 65.1% of long-term users had a CLDEQ-8 score greater than 12 (p=0.016).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Long-term CL wearers experienced much more CLD, and several considered removing their lenses at various times. Contact lens discomfort has to be investigated, especially in long-term CL users, and solutions should be developed to avoid CL dropout.