Midday fogging with scleral lenses and how to help fix it

9/12/2017

I have worn glasses since my math teacher noticed my inability to see the board in Algebra class in the 7th grade. It turned out that I had bad, irregular astigmatism as well as near sightedness—and it has only gotten worse since—with a minor eye-injury in my early adulthood, chronically dry eyes, and steadily deteriorating vision at distance. As a professional writer by trade, lacking the medical background or academic acumen for understanding my vision-related options, glasses had simply become a given facet of my life, and one that I’d never thought to question before. For me, it had always been a choice between glasses and eye-surgery, shutting me off from the significant benefits of lensing options. Only recently, some thirty years after my first pair of glasses, have I finally gotten around to trying scleral contact lenses—amazed now by the freedom they offer, and baffled that it took me so long to give them a try.

But with such added freedoms arise new difficulties. I seem to be one of the 30% of scleral lens wearers whose sharp vision starts to decrease as the day goes on—manifesting as a cloudy haze in my vision, particularly in the left eye, after a few hours of wear. This phenomenon, called “midday fogging,” is rarely so marked that it affects or impedes my ability to read and write, but it is less than ideal for my sense of newfound freedom with an unadorned face, and has required myriad attempted solutions during my lunch hour at the office.

Eye doctors suspect that midday fogging is caused by microscopic debris that accumulates between my scleral lens and my cornea, potentially exacerbated by low viscosity of my tears. After consulting my eye care provider and a little experimentation, I’ve finally found a quick-fix cocktail that works for me.

I now wash my lenses with a mix of high-viscosity artificial tears and sterile saline that works to battle dry-eye symptoms and reduce debris. It’s taken a little trial and error to find what fits my particular eye chemistry, but now I’m able to wear my scleral lenses uninterrupted for the whole workday, and my freedom from glasses is the best it’s been since grade school.

Learn more

Scleral Contact Lens - Managing the Midday Fog, by Jessica H Mathew, OD, PhD: http://bit.ly/2rRgvjN

Midday Fogging with Scleral Lenses, National Keratoconus Foundation: https://www.nkcf.org/midday-fogging/

51 Comments

Mike Knight

2/28/2018 11:15:06 am

This is exactly what I go through every day. Would you be willing to elaborate on the "mix of high-viscosity artificial tears and sterile saline" that you use, including the specific brands of solution that you use? Thanks.

Nancy

3/13/2018 06:16:23 am

I too struggle with this daily after wearing the lenses about 2 hours. So frustrated!

Kristine

1/12/2021 06:08:49 pm

Same here. My first day wearing them and I’m 2 hours in and I feel like I’m walking through a smoked filled room.

DARLENE

5/11/2018 08:16:16 am

FOGGING SCLERAL LENS

Dennis

2/14/2021 06:15:17 pm

I kept my lenses out till 5pm tonight and at 7pm with them in the outdoor walk was so fogged in my wife had to help me get home
What mix do you use?

darlene

5/14/2018 10:48:21 am

would like to know name of saline etc to make coctail

5/15/2018 07:36:24 am

*Update* I was originally storing my scleral lens overnight in the B&L Boston Simplus solution and was having a terrible time with the midday fogging, BUT I recently switched to storing my scleral lens in the new B&L "ReNu Lens Solution, Advanced Triple Disinfect Formula, Multi-Purpose" solution and have seen a HUGE difference - way less midday fogging, cleaner lenses, and the comfort level of my lens has almost doubled (my eye used to be very red all the time, and now it is way less red and irritated looking). I highly recommend giving this a try!

Grant

9/9/2018 09:17:06 am

Mike, Isn't that solution for SOFT contact lenses?

Anwar

5/27/2020 06:24:19 pm

Hi Mike, I am using the B&L Boston Simplus solution for the past six years. It's been great until recently, when my lens are now starting to stain with cloud like patches. I know the ReNu solution is for soft lenses, so my question is does the ReNu Solution work well with scleral lenses and does it aid in preventing stain build up. Thank you.

Myra Sandlin

6/27/2018 09:50:33 am

Would like the high viscosity artificiall tears brand

Donna Galambos

3/8/2018 07:35:06 am

I just want to thank you so much for the advise of mixing artificial tears with sterile saline to get rid of my scleral contact lenses from fogging up ...I was so disappointed with my lenses fogging up that I was ready to just throw them out!!..so thanks again for your solution it works great and they don't fog up all day!!

Talha Ali

6/11/2018 08:54:40 pm

Hey I deal with midday fogging on daily basis. Could you please tell me what artificial tears and sterile saline you used?

Jessica

1/12/2019 06:36:09 pm

What do you do with the drops and the saline exactly? Clean the lenses?

Leann Evans link

5/5/2018 12:32:59 pm

SO, Can you go into alittle bit of detail about your mixing of artificial tears with sterile saline.. I have just started to wear scleral contacts this year and the dr. keeps decreasing the intensity of the bowl and they still fog.. I would love to go through the day without taking them out and having to clean and put back in.. thank you! any suggestions will help

1/12/2019 06:37:54 pm

Hello what do you do exactly with the saline and the drops? Do you wash the lenses?

Jose gonzalez

5/15/2018 11:04:07 am

Hello everyone,
I have been wearing my scleal lenses for about two months and initially I suffered from severe midday fogging. It was very frustration and I was extremely disappointed, especially because my vision is so much better with these lenses. I have to say my Dr. was useless in helping me with this problem. I did my own research based on other people’s suggestions and I found a solution that works for me. I use Lacri pure saline solution and Refresh Celluvisc libricating eye gel. I add exactly 3 drops of the celluvisc solution to each lens and the. I top it off with the saline solution. This has been a lifesaver and it eliminates the fogging for me. Now I can wear my lenses all day, I did try adding an extra drop of the celluvisc and didn’t work. So for me it’s 3 drops of celluvisc and the test saline. Hope this helps someone.

Pete O

8/20/2018 09:09:26 am

Thanks Jose, I'm going to try this. Right now I only use the Saline and not any sort of "high-viscosity artificial tears" in the lens. Cheers, Pete

Nikhil Kabba

10/19/2018 01:13:07 am

For how many hours are u able to wear them now?

Lisa

11/15/2018 02:17:16 pm

I just got sclera lenses this past Monday. Mine would get a haze after an hour of wearing & would get some sort of buildup under the lens. My dr. Recommended adding a few drops of the Celluvisc & it definitely helped as far as any buildup, but still getting a haze. I’m developing a bubble under both lenses after wearing them. I believe the fitting is off & they are leaking. Hopefully my dr. can get them right. I have struggled w/ my eyes all my life. Had lasik 20 years ago. It has caused all of the problems I’ve had for years. I wish now I never had it done. High in sight is 20/20 right.

Paras Mehta

2/17/2019 05:18:15 am

Try Dr Germoules in Dallas for Laserfit lenses. I’ve just got back from my second trip. Would definitely fix any post laser issues you have with his specialist scleral lenses...

keith reynolds

5/18/2019 03:19:52 pm

Another important thing to remember in creating your "scleral lens COCKTAIL" is that the saline solution should be a NON-BUFFERED variety with a pH Level of 7. Addipacks have a pH level of 5 - ACIDIC. This miss-match in pH levels can contribute to the fogging. Some examples of pH Level 7 solutions include PuriLens Plus; Scleralfil. Good luck.

Lou

11/30/2019 11:16:47 pm

Only been wearing them 4 months. Been trying to get the right mix. Do you find this helps preventing contacts from getting dry and blurry vision?

Sharon Skinner

7/24/2020 06:46:36 pm

This is exactly what I do with mine! It's a miracle worker!

Kevin Higgins

8/18/2020 02:49:47 pm

This did the trick for me, too. 3 drops of Celluvisc and fill the lens to overfull with Purilens Plus (ph-balanced (buffered) preservative-free saline. Good to go!

With the Addipacks saline I would cloud up within 2 hours. With the cocktail above, I'm good all day. Thanks so much!

Ryan S

7/2/2018 10:51:15 am

I struggle with this terribly, and it seems to mostly be my right eye. My left eye fogs a little bit, but not nearly as noticeably.

Sometimes even cleaning the lenses and re-inserting them with fresh solution doesn't totally fix the problem. It's like my eye got clouded directly. I can really notice it by looking at lights and seeing a bit of halo/blur.

Right now my general "rinse" is BioTrue Multipurpose, I use the addipaks solution to fill them before inserting. Overnight I use a hard lense (not positive on brand) cleaner and then soak with CLEAR CARE Plus cleaning and disinfecting solution.

Some days I'm able to last almost the whole day without fogging severe enough to bother the removal/rinse/reinsert process. Others I fog after a few hours (always the right eye). My eye doctor is great and really seems to be making fitting adjustments constantly to try and fix things, but after 1+ year of wearing these it's frustrating.

Others out there like me, you're not alone!

JILL H link

8/21/2018 01:50:40 pm

I'm sorry but I'm not following this. In one are it mentions washing the sclera lens with a mixture of saline and artificial tears. In another area is states to put that on the lens prior to insertion. Please advise which I should do. Thank you.

Wayne

9/10/2018 06:18:01 pm

Same here. I am confused as to wether I need to add tears to cleaning solution at night or mix with saline before putting my contacts in. Someone mentioned gel and I thought gel was bad. Could someone please clear this up?

Mark

12/8/2019 05:05:07 am

You use Clear Care (original no hydroglide) to clean. Celluvisc + Lacripure to fill the bowl and insert in your eye

Carolyn

9/12/2018 01:12:49 pm

I tried the mixture and I can't believe the improvement! Thank you so much. They are even more comfortable than before.

Troy Egly

1/23/2019 11:05:23 am

I also have fogging and I am going to try a buffered saline, I understand this will raise the PH to match the eye and can help eliminate the fogging for some

Arthur

2/2/2019 07:08:29 am

Try adding a drop or two of Refresh Celluvisc mixed with your saline solution to your lens and see if that helps. Also, take Omega 3 supplements for dry eyes. Both seemed to help me a bit, and that is better than none!

Andy

3/27/2019 06:49:01 pm

Years ago , my lenses fogged like crazy. Turns out I was allergic to chlorahexadine, a preservative I know Boston solutions have it in them. I switched to Aosept (ClearCase, etc). Never had the issues again My eyes doc diagnosed me easily. And it works well on GP lenses

3/30/2019 11:22:26 am

Thanks...I'm going to see the eye specialist again soon and see if she has any other recommendations. Not only the fogging, the lenses hurt my eyes after a few hours. It gets very irritating and I have to take them off, re-wet them and put them on again. This is not easy to do when you are busy working.

Kaye link

4/11/2019 01:45:38 pm

I also have the same problem and it is a pain to take them out several times a day to clear the debris off the lenses. I will try the suggestions and see if any of it works for me.Thanks

Jim

7/10/2019 09:09:48 am

Fogging was a major issue for me. So Dr recommended to use 3 drops of celluvisc and the rest saline. With that mix, I can usually go all day without removal/reinsertion. But if I play tennis, after about 1 hour i starts fogging. Conversely, owrking out at gym does not cause fogging. Seems to accompanied by lens discomfort, maybe some pressure inside the lens. Could this be caused by increasing blood pressure? Note that my vision is just too good to give up on these lenses; have not been 20:20 corrected since I was 18.. Any similar experience of solutioos?

7/10/2019 03:21:13 pm

If you have dry eyes, which adds to the discomfort, here are some recommendations.
Put a heated patch over your eyes for a few minutes to stimulate tears. Also, there are eye drops (restasis) that can help with more tears. Lastly, try some eye/omega 3 supplements.

Hope these helps!

Maxi

9/28/2019 01:37:17 pm

Thanks for the Celluvisc tip! Clarity was getting terrible. I couldn't go more than a few hours without fogged up lenses. It was miserable. I figured I would try anything. I made an effort to clean the lenses more thoroughly at night before soaking. I started taking Omega 7 supplement AND I have been putting 2-3 drops of Celluvisc in the lens before topping off with saline solution. It is a miracle! I can see again! Thanks so much for sharing.

Adam

12/1/2019 06:24:04 am

Whenever i try to out celluvisc in my lens tons of tiny bubbles appear and i cant get them to surfave and pop because the stuff is so thick. No one else having this problem??

Pavan

6/17/2020 10:30:07 am

I have this problem.Not sure what to do..Seems like this refresh celluvisc is damn expensive too...I literally finished half of that as a result of this problem. I will probably try refresh liquigel, that was the only drops that worked for me with my RGP previously

12/1/2019 12:35:39 pm

Good to hear that it helped you. Take care.

12/1/2019 11:52:43 am

I want to give an update. I found I was not filling the lens with enough solution before insurting them in my eye. Now I make sure their is a is plenty of solution each lens. That was a big help for me. My doctor never pointed this out to me. Being new I did not know till a doctor on the internet point it out.

Allan

2/27/2020 05:39:47 pm

Hello, not sure if posting this the right way but I have the same issue with the fogging of my scleral lenses but I have very sensitive eyes and I found that I can only use non preservative solutions so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know thank you.

Darla

5/4/2020 07:02:47 pm

I use Acuvue Revitalens to store & clean them. I use Blinks Contacts(lubricating eye drops) 3-4 drops in each lens
I use Refresh Contacts(contact lens comfort drops) 3-4 drops in each lens
I use Saline Solution 0.9%. Fill the lens completely with this after you have put the other drops in the lenses. I usually have it overfilled but that's what my dr told me to do. I can now wear my scleral lenses for like 10-12 hours a day with out any fogging. Hope this will help. Love my happy eyes!!!!

6/17/2020 09:18:18 pm

Thank you guys for all the comments. I will give it a try with using celluvisc and mix with saline. It seems like everyone just has their own concoctions!

Thanks again!

Jo

8/25/2020 05:37:45 am

Hi there, i have been struggling with fogging for a month know. I have tried non preservative saline whihc is amidose, this was recommended to me. The problem was that because saline is quite think and watery, it is easier for debris to build up, this is what my doctor told me.

I reckon it's my poor quality tear film that was causing this so i went out and got hHyabak eye drops. this was a big improvement as the fogging didn't come until 4-5 hours into it and on a couple of occasions i wore them for like 8 hours straight without fogging. Oh, i used three drops of this by the way and the rest was amidose.

I am giving Celluvisc a try as I've been reading all your comments above, i just wanted to ask is it the 0.5% one you use ot the 1%? The 0.5% is giving me fogging within the hour!

8/25/2020 05:39:04 am

now* thin*

Kevin Higgins link

8/25/2020 07:41:37 am

I am not aware of different mixes sold under the Refresh Celluvisc brand. The key for me is 3-4 drops of Celluvisc topped off with Purilens buffered, preservative-free saline. Here is the Amazon link that I use, fwiw:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KPPQAY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00

Additional note (not related to fogging, but to using Celluvisc): If you use the Alcon ClearCare system (hydrogen peroxide) for overnight cleaning/disinfecting, having that Celluvisc in your lenses when you take them out at the end of the day will cause the ClearCare fizzing action to create suds within the storage case, causing it to vent solution out through the pressure release hole, potentially leaving the lense holders only partially submerged. Rinsing the inside of your lenses out with saline before putting them into the cleaning/disinfecting bottle will eliminate this sudsing/overflow.

Louis Bizzari

8/25/2020 07:49:14 am

My Doctor now has me fill the whole bowl with Celluvisc. And top off with purilens. Much better. Hope this helps.

GoldenJ

9/27/2020 02:17:04 pm

I do 2 drops of Celluvisc in Left, ! drop in the right lense then top it off with Addipak solution.

This works best to reduce and even eliminate fogging. Sometimes I still have to replace the lense solution later in the day.

Jim Hummelo9ojim

1/23/2021 01:55:37 pm

i found that it wasn't my lense getting cloudy but my eye. I just needed to take the lense out and rest the eye. Anyone else have this problem?

Chris Tayyan

4/11/2021 12:14:01 am

this article is one of the dumbest ive read, im sorry. so you gloat over what you so called discovered and you dont even care to share it with anyone that's suffering from this. so what do i do with this so called "cocktail" i shove it up my rear?

Midday fogging with scleral lenses and how to help fix it

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