When soft lenses start to feel scratchy by afternoon, many people assume the brand is wrong. A 2026 study in Contact Lens and Anterior Eye looked at something quieter: the multipurpose disinfecting solution soaking in the case overnight. Researchers at UNSW Sydney asked whether adding a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid derivative (HAD) to that solution could ease dryness scores in already symptomatic wearers.
Who was studied
Contact lens wearers with dry-eye–type lens discomfort—CLDEQ-8 scores of 12 or higher—joined three linked clinical trials. Everyone wore comfilcon A soft lenses with monthly replacement and used cleadew multipurpose solution with or without HAD for eight weeks. One trial compared HAD solution with habitual care, another used a matched non-HAD formula, and a third compared HAD and non-HAD solutions head to head.
- Twenty-three participants used the HAD-containing solution.
- Eighteen used the matched solution without HAD.
- Comfort was tracked with CLDEQ-8; clinicians also checked tear meniscus height, tear break-up time, meibomian glands, lipid layer thickness, tear volume, and surface staining.
What improved—and what did not
After eight weeks, CLDEQ-8 comfort scores improved significantly with the HAD solution (mean reduction of at least 7.7 points; P ≤ 0.003). The matched non-HAD solution did not produce a significant comfort change (mean reduction ≤ 3.3; P ≤ 0.13). Those symptom gains generally were not matched by big shifts in tear stability, tear volume, lipid layer thickness, or staining. In other words, people felt better even when the slit-lamp picture looked much the same.
Daily disposable wearers who still reported discomfort were an interesting subgroup: switching them onto HAD multipurpose care with monthly lenses also improved CLDEQ-8 scores (P < 0.008), with a trend toward fewer symptoms overall. The authors suggest better surface wettability and less friction as plausible reasons, and they call for more research.
What this means at the case sink
- Solution chemistry can change comfort even when the lens brand stays the same—ask before you blame only the plastic.
- Follow the label: rub and rinse when directed, never top off old fluid, and replace the case regularly.
- Pain, light sensitivity, sudden fogging, or a red eye that does not clear with a fresh lens needs same-day care, not another bottle from the drugstore aisle.
- Maria, a long-time monthly wearer in our area, once swapped solutions three times before anyone checked her lids and tear film—comfort problems often have more than one cause.
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Source: A hyaluronic acid containing contact lens disinfecting solution can improve contact lens comfort (Contact Lens and Anterior Eye / PubMed PMID 42508213, published online 07/27/2026). This article is an educational summary written by Khanna Vision Institute and is not a substitute for medical advice.