Extreme cases of dry eyes could now be treated with innovative wide-diameter “scleral” contact lenses that can be prescribed by an optometrist. Conventional rigid contact lenses are roughly 9 millimetres in diameter and lie on the cornea - the coloured part - of the eye. But the special dome-shaped “scleral” contact lens is 15 to 22 millimetres and rests on the sclera - the white part of the eye. A pool of saline solution lies underneath the large contact, continuously bathing the dry eye. While these kinds of contacts have been available for decades, major technological improvements have helped them to make a resurgence to treat dry eyes. The newer models - which are made of hard plastic - are gas permissible, allowing oxygen to fill the lens to provide oxygen to the eye surface. “It’s amazing to see the effect scleral lenses can make,” Fox News quoted Dr Peter Russo, director of the contact lens service of Loyola University Health System, as saying. “When patients first come into the office, they have extremely irritated eyes, and have to use eye drops over 30 to 60 minutes… But once we put in the sclera lenses, they feel instant relief,” he said. Although Dr Russo touts the benefits of scleral lenses, he also acknowledged it generally takes a while longer for patients to figure out how to put them in the eye. The lenses are more expensive than regular contacts, but Dr Russo said he is working to get them covered by insurance companies because they help treat a medical condition and are not purely cosmetic.
GMT 18:35 2018 Thursday ,11 January
Syrian refugee sets himself ablaze at UN office in LebanonGMT 18:48 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
Novo Nordisk woos Belgian nano-drug makerGMT 17:54 2017 Wednesday ,27 December
Medical evacuations begin from besieged Syria rebel bastionGMT 12:14 2017 Monday ,25 December
MoHAP successfully conducts cochlear implant operationGMT 18:24 2017 Sunday ,24 December
Palestinian conjoined twins arrive in RiyadhGMT 19:05 2017 Monday ,18 December
new! magazine names fitness & food editorGMT 17:03 2017 Wednesday ,29 November
Spain reports case of 'mad cow disease'GMT 14:05 2017 Saturday ,11 November
EU can't agree on new licence for controversial glyphosate weedkiller
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor