Mile Brujic, OD, FAAO, is passionate about his patients enjoying their contact lens experience. He thinks that all too many stop wearing their lenses simply because of discomfort. Ocular surface health is a major contributor to contact lens comfort. In an article written for Optometry Times, Dr. Brujic expressed his desire for eye care professionals to know how the ocular surface affects comfort.

“We need to understand and appreciate the effects that the ocular surface can have and how it can influence contact lens wear. The ocular surface is the environment that houses contact lenses, and as such, it is critical to understand its characteristics and potential influence on a patient’s contact-lens-wearing experience. A healthy ocular surface will not guarantee a successful wearing experience, but it will maximize the chances of it occurring.”

Nutrition’s Impact On the Ocular Surface

Scientists performed significant research around ocular nutrition and its effects on ocular surface disease. In attempts to determine whether an ocular nutrition formula could positively alter contact lens comfort, 19 practices gave a total of 91 patients with contact lens discomfort a one-month supply of a well-established ocular nutraceutical formula commonly used to relieve occasional dry eye (EyePromise^® EZ Tears™).¹ More than an Omega-3 supplement, EyePromise EZ Tears supports the ocular surface with eight soothing ingredients. Although it wasn't a placebo-controlled trial, the survey provides guidance on what to expect in a clinical setting.

Patient Results

Nearly 96% of participants experienced improvement in contact lens comfort within the 4 weeks. Patients ranked their contact lens discomfort from 1-5 (5 being the worst), which dropped from a 3.2 to a 2.2 over the 4 weeks. Artificial tear use also dropped from 2.2 times per day to 1.2. Patients’ contacts reportedly took longer to feel dried out, and comfortable contact lens wear time increased by 2.2 hours.

Participants taking EyePromise EZ Tears had an overall improvement in their contact lens wearing experience by promoting better ocular surface health and a micro-environment more conducive to comfortable contact lens wear. This presents an opportunity to fill a void in patient care and provide patients with a better wearing experience. Participant compliance was extremely high, likely because of the simplicity of 2 softgels per day with little to no side effects. In the presence of contact lens discomfort, it warrants significant consideration to discuss the benefits of nutrition with your patients.

Relief Starts with Questions

Ultimately, a more comprehensive inquiry into patients’ contact lens discomfort offers the best outcomes for patient care. EyePromise EZ Tears has been demonstrated to improve the overwhelming majority of patients’ contact lens discomfort in 4 weeks. EyePromise EZ Tears comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee, so if patients don’t feel relief, they get their money back. It’s really a win-win.

EZ Tears is also backed by a clinical research trial called Ocular Nutrition’s Impact on Tear Film. The results were impressive in almost every aspect.

Mile Brujic, OD, FAAO, graduated from the New England College of Optometry in 2002. He practices full scope optometry with an emphasis on ocular disease management of the anterior segment, contact lenses, and glaucoma. Dr. Brujic is on the editorial board for a number of optometric publications. He has published over 200 articles and has given over 1000 lectures, both nationally and internationally on contemporary topics in eye care. He is a member of the American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Optometry. Dr. Brujic practices in Bowling Green and owns Optometric Insights, a service providing career coaching to optometrists.

References

1. Private, in-office trial of EyePromise EZ Tears by contact lens thought leaders with subjective contact lens wear survey, 2011.