Wearing patterns with HEMA contact lenses

Abstract

A group of consecutively presenting wearers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate contact lenses attending a large contact lens clinic were surveyed to determine patterns of wear and factors which may influence this pattern. Approximately 50% of patients wore their lenses for six or fewer days per week and some 75% of patients did not exceed 12 hours of lens wear in the average daily wearing schedule. Variation in wearing patterns was noted between wearers of different lens types, but the reason for such variation is unclear. For the population as a whole, the amount of ametropia correlated with the number of hours of lens wear per week, which possibly indicates the dependence of patients with higher refractive errors on their contact lenses. Other patient related factors and symptomatology were not found to be associated with lens wearing times