Department of Orthoptics and Visual Science, School of Health Science, Kyushu University of Health Welfare
Abstract
To investigate the adequate use of contact lenses (CL) and the necessity health guidance to prevent ocular disorders, we conducted a questionnaire survey regarding the use of CL and the presence or absence of ocular disorders in 127 students from whom informed consent regarding the survey contents was obtained. Seventy students (55.1%) used CL. The make-to-female ratio was 1:2. The mean interval from the start of CL application was 5.1±2.4 years. The types of CL consisted of hard CL in 12.9% of the 70 students, conventional soft CL (SCL) in 21.4%, frequent-replacement SCL (2 weeks) (FRSCL) in 50.0%, and daily disposable SCL in 15.7%. The proportion of students using FRSCL was the highest. The duration of wearing CL per day ranged from 12 to 14 hours; students wearing CL over many hours accounted for more than 50%. Concerning their experience regarding CL-related ocular disorders, 62.9% reported a history of oculopathy, including severe cases such as endophthalmitis. These results suggest that a method to inform CL users of the risk of CL-related ocular disorders, which develop despite appropriate care and periodic consultations, should be examined
