How Contact Lens Can Aid Patients' Digital Lifestyles

Editorially independent content, supported with advertising from Alcon

I am the owner of Bidwell Optometry, a single-location private primary care practice in Folsom, California. I employ one other optometrist, and between us we see patients 5 days per week. Folsom is an active community of people of all ages, from retirees to working families with young children. There is a technology company nearby that employs many of our patients; these are engineers who want the best comfort and clarity for their eyes to withstand long hours on a computer. Yet, they aren’t the only ones to have a “digital lifestyle”—most people now use multiple digital devices every day, even children at school, and we optometrists must offer solutions to match these visual demands. This is why, for our practice, premium contact lenses are an important part of our offerings.

THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL EYE STRAIN
I see symptoms of digital eye strain in patients of all ages; most commonly, ocular dryness, watering, blurred vision, eye fatigue, and headaches—especially by the end of the day. Kaur et al (2022) noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the prevalence of digital eye strain in children increased to between 50% and 60%.¹ Compounding this issue is that more patients are also presenting with myopia that’s either new-onset or progressing. Fortunately, although our lifestyles are becoming less friendly to ocular health, manufacturers have continued to advance contact lens technology in recent years, so we now have lenses that can address these real-world needs.

KEY INSIGHTS IN THIS ARTICLE

Since we can’t reduce our patients’ screen time, it’s important to make them aware of how it affects their eyes, namely by reducing their blink rate. Since the 1990s, we’ve known that the use of screens reduces people’s blink rate—from about 18 per minute down to 3 per minute, according to Patel et al.² Naturally, fewer blinks cause the ocular surface to dry out and become fatigued and irritated, and it can cause the vision to fluctuate, which in turn can lead to headaches. Many patients realize that extended screen use makes their eyes tired, but they don’t know that fluctuating or “fuzzy” vision is a key symptom of ocular surface dryness. For patients complaining of these symptoms, lenses with moisture-retaining properties that mimic the natural tear film are the natural choice, and I’ll give them a pair of trial lenses to feel the difference for themselves. I also counsel my patients to take periodic breaks from the screen throughout the day and shift their focus to something at a farther range.

MODERN LENSES FOR MODERN LIFESTYLES
I appreciate how many contact lens options we have now to meet our patients’ lifestyle demands. The advanced lenses I choose for my patients have features such as high oxygen permeability for corneal health, materials that retain moisture and mimic the natural tear film for reduced friction and long-lasting comfort, and blue light-blocking coatings (although research has not definitively shown whether the blue light from digital devices is harmful to the eyes,³ some of my patients say they notice a difference from blue-light-blocking lenses). I also love how the expanded treatment parameters of these new lenses let me address a range of conditions, from astigmatism to presbyopia to high myopia, and everything in between.

Another shift in the contact lens market that I believe has benefitted patients significantly is the greater availability of daily disposables in all models. In addition to their other features, patients love the convenience of not having to clean them, and I love knowing that they’re putting a fresh lens on their eyes each day.

HELPING PATIENTS BUILD HEALTHY HABITS
My goal is to educate my patients of all ages to build health-conscious habits for life, and a lot of it comes down to awareness. When I ask patients to fill out a questionnaire about their daily habits, it’s often the first time they’ve quantified how many hours per day they spend on a screen. Then, I’ll ask them if their eyes feel better on the weekends when they’re usually using screens less, and that line of questioning helps them connect their symptoms to their habits. If a patient really struggles with blink awareness, there are different treatments we can try, such as blink exercises, a serum placed under the eye to encourage blinking, and apps that remind you to take a break from your screen. However, encouraging the annual examination is one of the best things we can do to ensure patients have the right prescriptions to address the daily demands on their vision.

The lifestyle questionnaire, paired with conversation, is my best tool for identifying my patients’ main visual complaints and finding the best solutions. I want to know how many hours per day they’re using digital screens; at what hour of each day their eyes start to bother them; how much they’re driving and at what time of day; how physically active they are; and what type of work they do. If I can gain a sense of their daily visual demands, I can choose a contact lens to fit those needs. Ultimately, I want my patients to be able to forget about their eyes and just go about their day.

TEACHING PEDIATRIC PATIENTS TO DISCONNECT FROM SCREENS
Contact lenses can be a great solution for kids who need visual correction, especially active ones, and I’ve successfully fit contacts in patients as young as 8 years old. Education becomes more challenging with very young patients, of course, who aren’t mature enough to recognize that their screen use is the reason their eyes feel uncomfortable. Whenever I spend time with a parent and a child together in an examination room, the parent wants me to impress on the child to limit their screen usage to protect their eye health, including preventing myopia, so repeating my recommendations about blink awareness and breaks from screens has become a routine part of my chair time. To parents, I stress the importance of encouraging outdoor activities whenever their kids are at home, since they’re now using screens during their classroom hours, as well as for homework.

BEST STRATEGIES FOR GROWING CONTACT LENS VOLUME
The best strategy I’ve found for growing our contact lens business is to stay informed about new lens updates and releases and then pass that knowledge on to our patients. My staff and I rely heavily on our sales representatives to teach us the key features of each lens and how to fit them to the appropriate patients. The faster we can fit a patient in the right lens, the more we reduce our chair time while also making the patient very happy. Including the front-desk staff in these trainings is essential, because they are the ones who follow up with patients.

When it comes to educating patients about contact lens options, we simply find ways to talk about them. Depending on the individual’s vision needs and lens-wearing history, I simply inform them of what’s available and explain the reasons I would recommend a lens for them. Even if they aren’t interested in contact lenses at that visit, I’ve communicated that I’m a provider who adopts the latest technologies. I get the best feeling when a patient asks me, “What’s new? Am I still in the best lens?” because I know they’ve come to value their eyes’ health from our discussions, and that’s a win-win for everyone. Also, I’ve found that giving patients trial contact lenses to “try before they buy” is a great way to both introduce this option to patients who are new to contact lens wear and allow existing wearers the option to try the latest lens technologies. Trial lenses are a pressure-free way to let people experience the benefits of these lenses for themselves.

References:

1. Kaur K, Gurnani B, Nayak S, et al. Digital eye strain—a comprehensive review. Ophthalmol Ther. 2022;11(5):1655–1680.

2. Patel S, Henderson R, Bradley L, et al. Effect of visual display unit use on blink rate and tear stability. Optom Vis Sci. 1991;68:888–89.

3. Cougnard-Gregoire A, Merle BM, Aslam T, et al. Blue light exposure: ocular hazards and prevention—a narrative review. Ophthalmol Ther. 2023;12(2):755–788.

Jennifer Wademan, OD
Owner and Optometrist, Bidwell Optometry, Folsom, California
idocjen@hotmail.com; Instagram @drjenwademan 
Financial disclosure: None