Both lens and contact lens brands have for some time now considered the requirements of individual lifestyles in the development of new optical products.
However, the wider consumer movement towards digital devices has created the need for mass market solutions as well as niche ones.
‘Digital technology has completely transformed the way we work. Everyone has got a tablet and an iPhone and we use them daily. We spend more time logged in than we do switched off,’ said optometrist Francesca Marchetti.
She was speaking at the media launch of Bausch and Lomb’s monthly Ultra contact lenses into the UK market, held at the Oxo Tower in London. ‘What’s your digital Eye-D’ was the tagline for its marketing campaign to support the brand, with B+L’s research into digital eye strain among 1,000 adults supporting its cause for digital friendly contact lenses.
Eyes glued
B+L told journalists that the average UK resident spends seven hours a day staring at screens, with a third dedicating nine hours. The average British worker sends and receives 10,000 emails a year, reported Warwick Business School. All this was despite 40% of women feeling less tired when they avoided screens, including televisions, and 30% of men saying the same in the B+L research.
It was noted that spending just two hours a day looking at screens can cause digital eye strain. Marchetti said the lack of contrast, definition and build-up of dirt on screens had a big impact on how much the eyes must strain to view a screen.
Psychologists, meanwhile, have expressed concerns about the social implications of too much screen time. Indeed, more than half admitted in the research they would rather send messages to a friend or family member than embark on an actual phone conversation. Reduced attention spans and patience levels were also reported, while one fifth said they felt anxious without their smart phone.
Francesca Marchetti talking about the pressures of digital usage on our eyes
In addition, digital screen usage was cited as the main reason for contact lens dropouts, due to added dryness and discomfort.
B+L claimed that since 2007 there has been no new innovation in materials for reusable contact lenses, but that Ultra, already available in the US market, used a two-phase polymerisation process to create a silicone hydrogel formulation with ‘high wettability’.
‘Now is the time for this new lens technology,’ added Marchetti.
However, first the profession must tackle a lack of awareness among UK patients that digital devices were at the root cause of many eye complaints. Although 16% suffered from blurred vision and 36% said their eyes were irritated, three-quarters did not know these were symptoms of digital eye strain.
Birth of Beth?
In order to spot the signs of digital eye strain, B+L promoted the use of its ‘Beth’ acronym – standing for blurred vision, eye irritation, tired eyes and a headache.
Practitioners should encourage regular screen users to take a 20-second break by looking at something 20 yards away every 20 minutes, or perhaps blink every time they hit return on the keyboard.
Despite the widespread issues around 20% of respondents had become addicted to their digital devices, according to B+L. Three-quarters of people checked their phone at least every hour and half checked it every 30 minutes.
One influence on the growth of ‘digital Eye-D’, B+L found, was the 7.2% growth in the gaming market, while the mainstream use of virtual reality games looms on the horizon.
To counter dry eye in such extreme environments, the Ultra contact lens boasted 95% moisture retention after 16 hours thanks to ‘MoistureSeal’ technology incorporating more water-attracting polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) into its lenses than other silicone hydrogels, according to B+L. It had a Dk/t of 163 and water content of 46%.
Each of these elements created extra comfort for the extended screen use demands of modern lifestyles, it said, while Ultra for Presbyopia contact lenses were also launched at the event.
Finally, Marchetti stressed the importance of high street practices in spotting the signs of digital eye strain, before recommending products such as Ultra together with potential lifestyle changes.
‘An optometrist will always be able to recognise the symptoms where a pharmacist or GP won’t,’ she added.
