ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the impact of contact lens wear on tear pH and ocular comfort in first-time users over six weeks. Thirty participants aged 18–30 from the University of Benin Optometry Teaching Clinic were assessed for tear pH using pH strips and ocular comfort using the Contact Lens Discomfort and Lens Performance Questionnaire-8 (CDLEQ-8). Participants wore contact lenses for at least four hours daily, four days a week, with follow-up measurements at weeks 3 and 6. The results indicated that tear pH remained stable throughout the study, with mean values of 7.08 ± 0.199 at baseline, 7.12 ± 0.194 at Week 3, and 7.07 ± 0.196 at Week 6, showing no significant change (p = 0.390). Ocular comfort scores showed a slight change from Week 3 (1.50 ± 0.930) to Week 6 (1.74 ± 0.862), but the change was not statistically significant (p = 0.228). Additionally, there was no significant correlation between tear pH and ocular comfort at Week 3 (r = -0.106, p = 0.576) or Week 6 (r = 0.51, p = 0.787). The results suggest that contact lens wear does not disrupt tear pH or significantly impact ocular comfort in first-time users within a 6-week wear period.

Keywords: Tear pH, ocular comfort, contact lenses, first-time wearers.