Contact Lenses & Dry Eyes

Whether or not you suffered from dry eyes before wearing contact lenses, chances are you're suffering from it now that you do wear contacts. Dry eyes are a very common occurrence for contact lens wearers. Symptoms can range from mildly irritating to downright unbearable. The question is: what can you do about it? Put simply, the answer is to get yourself some artificial tears. Other options are available, however, such as switching your contact lenses, or wearing your contact lenses for a shorter period of time.

How do I know if I have dry eyes?

The most common symptoms of dry eye are burning, stinging, red eyes. Your eyes may also feel gritty or scratchy - as if there's something in them. This is a consequence of inadequate tear supply to lubricate the surface of your eyes. You will be most likely to experience symptoms of dry eyes after you have worn your contacts for an extended period of time, or perhaps if you have been wearing them in a dry environment or while staring at a computer screen.

What types of artificial tears are available?

As I mentioned above, artificial tears are the best and least expensive answer to the problem of dry eyes. They are made of a formulation similar to your own tears and will provide you with instantaneous relief. There are a number of options available to you: from single-dose unpreserved containers to multi-dose preserved liquids, gels, and ointments. If you suffer from allergies I suggest you opt for the single-dose preparations, as it's most commonly the preservative in such solutions which trigger an allergic reaction. Gels and ointments are great for longer-lasting relief, but they may blur your vision for a short period of time (ointments may blur your vision for up to 10 minutes and should only be used at night). Liquid artificial tears would be ideal for those contact lens wearers who are mildly to moderately irritated by dry eyes. Since artificial tears are made of a saline solution similar to your own tears, they can be used as often as you need them throughout the day.

A newer option that is available is restasis. Restasis eye-drops actually stimulate the production of your own tears. The active ingredient is cyclosporine, which is suspended in a castor oil solution. Since you will be producing more of your own tears, this form of treatment lasts longer than traditional artificial tears.

What if the artificial tears don't work?

If you find that artificial tears are not helping your symptoms of dry eyes, I recommend that you see your eye care practitioner. Your doctor can help you to decide on the best options for you. It may be a change of contact lenses, an optimized artificial tear regimen, or even a more advanced form of dry eye therapy that is needed.