Vitamin A and contact lens wear: a case report

Abstract

A 42‐year‐old female soft contac lens wearer experience intermittent dry eye symptoms when wearing a variety of lens designs and polymers, over a period of more than two years. Modifiction to solutions used for cleaning and disinfecting and to lens lubricaiton and wearing times achieved no permanent resolution of the problem. The patient eventually revealed that the she has been taking megadoses of unprescribed vitamins, with a particularly hight viatamin A component, to counter menopausal symptoms. When the vitamin intake ceased, the contact lens‐realted dry eye problem appeared to resolve. It seems possible that there is a conneciton between sustaained ingestion of high doese of vitamin A in tablet from the tear dysfunciton causing ittitation when wearing soft contact lenses.

Key words:

• vitamin A
• dry eye
• contact lenses