Contact lenses are the convenient choice of refractive correction, however, in the general population the prescribing of contact lenses is not as widely used as its potential would suggest. One area which would appear to benefit from the prescribing of contact lenses is that of sport and sporting activity.
My work has been based upon the area of ‘Sport and Contact Lenses’, most notably the current UK prescribing trends of Optometrists for contact lenses in sport, the prevalence of contact lens wear in sport, and finally the experiences of contact lens wearers in sport. There appears to be no precedent with regard to contact lens choice for participation in sport; and from speaking directly to Optometrists it is clear that lens choice depends mainly on each Optometrists view on the lens choice available and the benefits that they consider each type of lens can offer the patient. For example in Swimming, some Optometrists will advise daily contact lens wear and disposal of the lens after use, others will happily fit a monthly lens and advise that goggles be worn over the lenses and the lenses cleaned thoroughly after use; and then there are those that advise contact lenses should not be worn and instead recommend prescription goggles.
In order to gain an insight into the relevance of contact lenses in sport, a literature review was undertaken on sports and vision. From this, it was apparent that there existed a niche in the Optometry market for further investigation of the impact of contact lens prescribing for sport. Previous research confirmed that 45% of female and 65% of male contact lens patients participated in sports, of which over 94% of the participants wore their lenses for sports. As part of my research I decided to design and implement a questionnaire to research the prevalence of contact lens wear in sport.
The questionnaire was handed out to the current first year Optometry undergraduates at Aston University, and the results highlighted that there is clearly a market for contact lenses and sport, most people that wear spectacles do not wear them for sport, whilst most people that wear contact lenses do wear them for sport, and a wide variety of sport at that. Nike have just developed their ‘Max Sight’ lenses which filter specific wavelengths of light therefore enhancing contrast and reducing discomfort that can occur through glare, but this is only one company making the first tentative steps into the market. Further research would enable more companies to enter the market therefore allowing the patient to make a more informed choice with regard to their contact lens prescription and participation in sporting activity.
My 8 weeks of research was spent mainly in and around the department of Optometry and Vision Sciences at Aston University, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the department as it allowed me to enhance my research skills further and develop my relationships with the staff and PhD students. It also highlighted to me that research is a dynamic ever changing process open to all manner of thought process and analysis and that the boundaries are infinite; and as a result of my scholarship I would consider taking further steps into the research field following completion of my Optometry degree.
Research by: Nathanael Anguige
Supervised by: Dr Shehzad Naroo, Lecturer in Optometry & Vision Sciences, Aston University, Mr Martin Cardall, PhD scholar, Optometry & Vision Sciences, Aston University
Sponsored by: College of Optometrists