Identification of the determinants of patient symptoms is a requisite for successful patient management in contact lens practice. Symptoms reported by 104 patients wearing hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) contact lenses, who presented consecutively to a large contact lens clinic, were analyzed. Dryness was reported more frequently than the symptoms scratchy and watery (p less than 0.001). Females using oral contraceptives were more likely to experience the symptoms of scratchiness (p less than 0.01) and dryness (p less than 0.05) than females who were not using oral contraceptives. The symptoms dryness was reported more frequently by patients whose lenses were older than 6 months (p less than 0.05), and those wearing toric lenses (p less than 0.01). These findings will assist practitioners to anticipate those patients who are likely to develop contact lens-related symptoms and lay the foundations for a model of symptomatology during contact lens wear.