Vision researchers and eye care professionals are working on defining and managing the causes of contact lens discomfort (CLD) which is the leading cause of patient dissatisfaction with, and discontinuation of, contact lens wear throughout the world.
Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, Professor at the University Of Houston College Of Optometry, said up to half of all contact lens wearers experience CLD, but, there is no global consensus concerning the definition, classification, epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and the proper design of clinical studies for CLD.
To lay the groundwork for defining and treating this widespread issue, the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society organized the TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort (CLD), which was chaired by Nichols.
The CLD Workshop took 18 months to complete and involved 79 experts from around the world.
“Workshop participants used an evidence-based approach and a process of open communication, dialogue, and transparency in order to achieve a global consensus concerning multiple aspects of CLD,” Mark Willcox from School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, said.
Meanwhile, David A. Sullivan, organizer of the TFOS CLD Workshop, said that this TFOS report will significantly increase awareness of factors that may, and may not, contribute to the generation of CLD. Ideally, this TFOS report will stimulate innovative research in this very important field.
The study is published in journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.