PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of daily wear opaquely tinted hydrogel soft contact lenses on contrast sensitivity functions, as measured using the Pelli-Robson chart viewed at 1 meter. METHODS: Contrast sensitivity was measured in 48 healthy individuals before and 6 hours after soft contact lens wear. Twenty-four subjects used clear soft contact lenses and 24 used tinted soft contact lenses. RESULTS: The contrast sensitivity scores were significantly decreased monocularly and binocularly (P = 0.000 and P = 0.002, respectively) in the colored contact lens group whereas there were no significant changes in the clear contact lens group (P = 0.317 and P = 0.317, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Color-tinted contact lenses were associated with a reduction of contrast sensitivity function. Therefore, those who wear colored contact lenses should be informed about the possible consequences of tinted contact lens wearing.
PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of daily wear opaquely tinted hydrogel soft contact lenses on contrast sensitivity functions, as measured using the Pelli-Robson chart viewed at 1 meter. METHODS: Contrast sensitivity was measured in 48 healthy individuals before and 6 hours after soft contact lens wear. Twenty-four subjects used clear soft contact lenses and 24 used tinted soft contact lenses. RESULTS: The contrast sensitivity scores were significantly decreased monocularly and binocularly (P = 0.000 and P = 0.002, respectively) in the colored contact lens group whereas there were no significant changes in the clear contact lens group (P = 0.317 and P = 0.317, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Color-tinted contact lenses were associated with a reduction of contrast sensitivity function. Therefore, those who wear colored contact lenses should be informed about the possible consequences of tinted contact lens wearing.