Dry Eye and Contact Lens Wear

Dry Eye and the Contact Lens Wearer

Do your eyes burn, tear or blur at random times during the day? Dry eye occurs in many people, especially women over 40 or on birth control (hormone-related), patients on certain medications, during chemotherapy treatment, nursing mothers and in some autoimmune diseases. It is considered an ocular surface disease and must be treated with diet, compresses and eye drops.

But where does this leave the contact lens wearer? Contact lenses act as a sponge, requiring precious tears to stay clear and moist. Before stopping contact lens wear completely there are multiple options that are available to someone with dry eyes.

1.  You and the doctor need to identify and treat the underlying cause of the dry eyes and any concurrent allergies.

2.  There may be a benefit to switching the material and style of the soft contact lenses to a brand that is more hydrating.

3.  If this is not adequate, scleral contact lenses are wonderful for dry eyes. They are a hard, domed lens that is filled with saline that sits right over the eye. They provide excellent vision and are very comfortable.  Scleral lenses are a custom contact that requires several visits to fit and require a bit more care than a simple disposal lens. They can be worn daily or just on weekends. I wear them myself and love the vision! Because they are custom, they come in almost every prescription, even a bifocal option.

Since dry eye is chronic (a forever problem) the goal is to be comfortable. For every dry eye patient, contact lenses will be more difficult to wear for prolonged periods and patients usually need to wear their glasses more. If it’s going out to socialize, hike, exercise, a day in the city or a meeting, the aim should be finding a comfortable len for these specific periods. Discussing treatment options with your doctor can keep you in those beloved contact lenses.

Dr. Labiento Smith