Scleral Lens Fogging and What Patients Can Do About It

Scleral lenses have revolutionized vision correction and treatment for patients with irregular corneas, severe dry eyes and other eye conditions. These little miracle workers are designed to vault over the cornea, rather than interact with it. Landing on the sclera (the white part of the eye), scleral lenses can completely transform a highly irregular corneal shape and surface. However, scleral lenses do come with certain challenges.

Fogging is one of the most common complaints among scleral lens wearers. It can cause discomfort and impact optical quality, not to mention the inconvenience of removing lenses to clean and reapply them throughout the day. Learning more about scleral lens fogging causes, treatment, and prevention is crucial to having the best possible wearing experience.

Officially, scleral lens fogging is moisture forming and accumulating on the lens surface. The most common causes for scleral lens fogging are:

• Deposits forming on your lenses
• An improper cleaning regimen
• Environmental changes
• The fit of your lens

Deposits Forming On Your Scleral Lens

Deposits can form on the surface of your lens over time. These deposits can be from environmental debris or from protein and lipids found in your tears. When they start to bind to the lens they form a “build up” that leads to trapped moisture, impaired vision, and even discomfort.

Your Eye Care Provider can help to identify the various types of deposits and recommend a treatment or cleaning regimen to help mitigate the issues. Many times, a patient’s tear chemistry is the culprit and must be treated in conjunction with scleral lens wear. More and more, practitioners are adding smart surface technology to the lens (like Tangible Hydra-PEG). This does not change the quality or quantity of your tears, but, it does help to prevent the debris and deposits from sticking to the lens.

How Tangible Hydra-PEG improves deposit resistance
on scleral lenses

An Improper Cleaning Regimen

Improper or infrequent cleaning can lead to debris building up on the lens surface. It’s highly important that you follow a daily cleaning regimen that your Eye Care Provider recommends. Scleral lenses are custom made for YOUR eyes which makes them expensive!

For that reason, many people are lax in cleaning their lenses for fear of dropping, breaking, or losing a lens due to handling. Rest assured, your lenses not only can stand up to daily cleaning, they require it to continue providing the vision and comfort they are designed to give.

Environmental Changes

Environmental changes, especially in temperature or humidity can cause temporary moisture on the lens. If your lenses have started to form build up from debris or deposits, moisture gets trapped and can worsen the already maddening symptoms.

The Fit of Your Lens

Problems with the fit of a lens can lead to many issues, including fogging. Eyes can change fast, especially if you’re dealing with an irregular cornea. Since scleral lenses are custom made for your eyes, changes to your eyes’ shape or tear chemistry can impact the way the lenses fit, feel, and perform. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

The challenges that come with scleral lenses are real. But, they can be managed and overcome with diligent care, compliance, and communication. Here’s what you can do to take control of your scleral lens experience.

1. Communicate with your practitioner. Ensure all your questions about your current lenses and care regimen are answered. Ask your Eye Care Provider if there is anything new that can be done like a change to your care products or adding Tangible Hydra-PEG.
   
   
2. Commit to caring for your lenses with daily cleaning and disinfection with only recommended products. When you received your scleral lenses, you may have been given or recommended to buy several different care products. This can be complicated and confusing. Ensure that you understand the recommended cleaning protocol and don’t be afraid to ask for samples! If your practitioner has recommended using a multi-purpose solution, you can purchase Tangible Clean easily online.
   
   
3. Since products for scleral lenses are not readily available in drug stores, consider purchasing multiples or signing up for subscription services so that you have everything you need on hand with back-ups, just in case. 
   
   
4. Be mindful of your environment. Don’t let air conditioning or heat blow directly into your face in cars or airplanes. Consider protective eyewear when working in dusty or smoky environments.
   
   
5. Keep your follow up and annual examination appointments. This is how your doctor not only checks how your vision is doing, but also ensures the overall health of your eyes, tests for early onset of eye diseases, and confirms your lenses still fit your eyes as they were designed to.

Speak up at your appointments and in between appointments. Ask for better vision and comfort. You don’t have to settle!