Allergies can cause itching, watering, and irritated eyes, but a new type of contact lens may provide some relief. The US Food and Drug Administration authorized Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen, the first lenses to administer the medication directly to the eye, according to Johnson & Johnson.
Ketotifen is an antihistamine often used to treat itchy eyes caused by allergic conjunctivitis. However, contact users may be more susceptible to pollen or other irritants that exacerbate the eyes and cause hours of suffering.
According to its creators, the new daily prescription contacts, which are intended to be discarded after one usage, combine the vision-correcting capability of conventional contact lenses with the itch relief of eye drops that may last up to 12 hours. However, they may not be suitable for those with astigmatism, and they are not recommended for people who suffer from red-eye.
According to Acuvue’s website, the contacts function by delivering 50% of the medication in the first 15 minutes after the user inserts them, and each lens will continue to give the medication for the following five hours, lasting up to 12 hours (with vision correction lasting as long as you have them in).
According to research published in the journal Cornea, the medicated contacts generated a “statistically and clinically significant” change in allergy symptoms in both studies.
According to Johnson & Johnson, eye irritation and soreness, which occur in fewer than 2% of treated eyes, are possible adverse effects of Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen, according to Johnson & Johnson.
According to Johnson & Johnson, the Acuvue lenses are the world’s first drug-eluting contact lenses. A comparable method for treating glaucoma with contact lenses is also being developed.