Eye & Contact Lens Factsheets

Even with the multitude of specialist lenses available today we still encounter a few patients who produce too few tears to keep their lenses working at their best throughout a long days wear.

An adequate intake of water is necessary for best tear production but, assuming this, it has been widely accepted for many years that certain vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements can significantly improve tear quality and quantity. As a result this can lead to great improvements in the comfort and tolerance of Contact Lenses.

Many papers have been published both in the USA and Britain on this subject and, after trials with hundreds of our patients over the last few years, we now advocate a simple regime of supplements for the more dry eyed wearer. Whilst not a universal panacea, over 60% of patients notice improvements and so regularly use the recommended supplements.

The principle elements of the treatment are EVENING PRIMROSE OIL (Gamma Linolenic Acid), ZINC & VITAMIN A.

Evening Primrose Oil is changed in the body to a beneficial hormone which helps regulate the menstrual cycle, skin condition and blood pressure. It affects mucous tissues and can assist in asthma attacks. The eyelids are made up of mucous tissue and Evening Primrose can improve secretions from the lids hence Contact Lens wearers have regularly reported, that when taking it their lenses are more comfortable.

Vitamin A has always been recognised as being good for the eyes and is believed to control the quality of tears making for better comfort and vision.

Zinc stimulates the tear glands to produce more tears which means lens surfaces dry up less. As a direct result vision may be improved and more vital oxygen, the nutrient of the cornea, gets to the eyes.

OUR RECOMMENDATION

3 TABLETS 1000mg Evening Primrose (gammaoil) daily with food

2 TABLETS ICaps (Alcon) daily with food

Icaps, produced by ALCON LABORATORIES was developed to lower the risk of AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION which leads to irreversible severe vision loss. For full details see ALCON's information sheet. It also contains not only essential nutrients important for good vision but, most importantly, the Zinc & Vitamin A needed to benefit the Contact Lens wearer.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT MAY TAKE 2 to 3 WEEKS FOR ANY IMPROVEMENTS TO BE NOTICED AND NOT ALL PATIENTS BENFIT FROM THIS TREATMENT.