Contact lenses and digital eye strain

Digital eye strain (DES) is a group of eye- and vision-related problems elicited by engagement with screens. Over half of screen users experience its symptoms, which include eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain. Although contact lenses are a popular option for the correction of refractive error, their role in the aetiology and management of DES is still emerging. Recent review publications on DES only briefly discuss contact lenses. Thus, there is a need (1) to synthesise the current body of literature that has examined the relationship between contact lenses and DES and (2) to identify gaps in the literature that are barriers to employing contact lenses to manage DES. The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate evidence of ways in which contact lenses may contribute to and may help relieve DES. Although there is little direct evidence to support or refute the use of contact lenses for the management of DES, advances in contact-lens technology to maintain the ocular surface and to correct vision at multiple distances in multiple gazes support the potential of future research. Moreover, there is little high-quality evidence that blue-light filters reduce the symptoms of DES. Nevertheless, eye care professionals should consider the aforementioned potential benefits of wearing contact lenses during computer tasks, versus possible lens-associated ocular-surface disruption and residual astigmatism, when discussing management options with patients. Future gains in knowledge of the interaction between DES and contact lenses will have significance to eye care professionals and to their patients.