Hyaluronan in Lens Cleaning Solutions

Hyaluronan is an ingredient in various contact lens cleaning solutions. Let's have a look at this ingredient and the benefit it provides to patients wearing bi-weekly or monthly replaceable contact lenses and using a multi-purpose cleaning solution as part of their daily cleaning regimen.

Hyaluronan - also called hyaluronic acid - is a chemical substance that is naturally part of our connective, and neural tissues. By the way, we humans have about 15 to 20 grams of hyaluronan in our body, where it plays an important role in skin healing and wound repair. So it doesn't come as a surprise that hyaluronan is also used as a popular ingredient in skincare products. In vision care, hyaluronan has been used for many years as an ingredient in re-wetting drops, artificial tears, and dry-eye over-the-counter products. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of hyaluronan to improve tear film volume and to stabilize the tear film.

In multi-purpose contact lens cleaning solutions, hyaluronan is used as a long-lasting wetting agent binding water to the lens surface. Hyaluronan is often combined with sorbitol or other stabilizers, as otherwise, hyaluronan would 'fall apart' fairly quickly.

References

Over the counter (OTC) artificial tear drops for dry eye syndrome
by: Andrew D Pucker, Sueko M Ng, and Jason J Nichols
published online: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016; 2: CD009729

Improvement of the ocular surface using hypotonic 0.4% hyaluronic acid drops in keratoconjunctivitis sicca
by: Iester M, Orsoni GJ, Gamba G, Taffara M, Mangiafico P, Giuffrida S, Rolando M.
published by: Department of Neurological and Visual Science, Ophthalmology B, University of Genoa, Italy

Contact Lenses and Lens Care Products with Hyaluronan