Lubricants Usage among Contact Lens Wearers in a University Students Population

Nadeem, Maryam Muhammad; Abdu, Mustafa; Gammoh, Yazan; Asim, Faria; Yousaf, Fatimah

doi:10.21608/ejomos.2025.320929.1144

Lubricants Usage among Contact Lens Wearers in a University Students Population

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

¹ Department of optometry, The university of Faisalabad

² Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Science, University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Department of Contact Lenses, Faculty of Optometry and Visual Science, University of Al-Neelain, Sudan

³ Department of Optometry, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan

⁴ Department of Optometry, The University of Faisalabad

⁵ The University of Faisalabad, Sargodha road, Faisalabad, Pakistan

10.21608/ejomos.2025.320929.1144

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the use of lubricants among contact lens (CL) wearers, as infrequent use of lubricants can lead to dry and irritating ocular surfaces that can alter the wearing schedule of contact lenses.
Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted. This study was conducted at the Contact lens clinic, Department of Optometry, The University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan, from December 2022 to February 2023. One hundred and fifty participants (72% females and 28% males) aged 18 to 28 years were included through a purposive sampling technique. Data was availed using a validated CLDEQ-8 questionnaire, and tears were assessed using Tear Break Up Time (TBUT) test before and after wearing soft contact lenses after taking informed written and oral consent. Results obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 22.
Results: Many of the contact lens wearers (43.33%) rarely used lubricants, while 54% stated that ocular discomfort alters their wearing schedule. TBUT was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) from 12.26 seconds to 8.54 seconds after wearing contact lenses. Most of the students (79.33%) did not visit an eye care professional for contact lens-related ocular discomfort.
Conclusion: Majority of contact lens wearers in the study did not seek professional advice on contact lens-related dryness and discomfort, despite their effect on CL wearing schedule. The outcome of this study is to promote the frequent use of lubricants in contact lens wearers.

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