Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS

Face coverings are causing individuals to experience ocular irritation and dryness

Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, discusses what ODs need to keep in mind for OSD patients and contact lens wear, including comments on contact lenses amid COVID-19.

We have witnessed a rise in clinical utilization of scleral lenses in recent years, and in some cases, their clinical indications have expanded to include even those patients with regular corneas. Given this sharp rise in scleral lens utilization, the principle of lens selection continuum as proposed by Visser et al appears to also hold true in patients with normal healthy eyes. Thus, when should clinicians reach for scleral lenses when providing care to patients with regular corneas?

Improve your scleral fitting skills and your patients’ quality of life

As busy practitioners, do we always take the time to really communicate and listen to our patients? And if our patients tell us that “everything is ok” with their current lenses, do we learn how to probe a little deeper?