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Moisturize with Mother Nature!
Photo Credit: Joe Loong
It is estimated that more than half of all people who stop wearing contact lenses do so because of discomfort caused by dryness, which progressively worsens as the day wears on. New research from McMaster, recently published in the journal Biomaterials, showed that hyaluronic acid can be entrapped in existing contact lens material without affecting its optical properties.
More good news! It was also found that using hyaluronic acid considerably reduces the build up of proteins which can cloudy contact lens material, the cause of up to 30 per cent of all after-care visits by contact lens wearers to optometrists.
Hyaluronic acid is a natural polymer that acts to reduce friction. Our bodies continuously synthesize the slimy stuff. An average person weighing 70 kg has about 15 grams of hyaluronic acid in their body, one third of which is turned over daily. The body uses hyaluronic acid to repair skin, provide resiliency in cartilage, and contribute to the growth and movement of cells, among other things. Hyaluronic acid is the major non-water component to the clear vitreous that fills the eyeball.
Purified nonhuman hyaluronic acid used by the medical profession to eliminate wrinkles, to treat patients with dry eyes, and it is injected inside the eye during cataract surgery and other eye procedures.
Although manufacturers have not yet produced contact lenses with hyaluronic acid, the researchers remain hopeful. "We've shown that the process works," said Heather Sheardown, professor of chemical engineering at McMaster and a member of the McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, who was involved in the research. "We're optimistic that a manufacturer will see the benefits of using this naturally based technology to provide contact lens wearers with greater comfort and convenience."
SOURCE: Review of Ophthalmology, online version, 7/28/2008
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: contact lens, hyaluronic acid, vision
