Can You Wear Contacts With Dry Eyes?

Studies suggest that up to 20 percent of Americans have chronically dry eyes. The condition is a main reason why some people are told they cannot wear contact lenses. At the same time, some people with dry eyes may not have any symptoms until they try to wear contact lenses. If you have been told you have dry eyes, you may be wondering if you can still wear contacts. Thankfully, there are contact lens practitioners who specialize in fitting people who have dry eyes.

Definition

• Dry eye is the lack of lubrication and moisture in the eye, which can cause inflammation of the tissues of the eye. The condition causes discomfort in most people and blurred vision in some sufferers.

Symptoms

• If you suffer from dry eyes, you may have redness, a burning sensation, or a scratchy feeling in the eyes. It may feel like something is in one or both eyes. In some cases, you may have extra-watery eyes or your eyes may tear for no apparent reason.

Significance

• Soft contact lenses contain water. However, the more water a lens contains, the more apt it is to cause dryness of the eye. For this reason, many contact lens specialists prefer fitting people who have dry eyes with rigid gas permeable lenses, which are smaller than soft contact lenses, retain moisture better, and do not draw as much water away from the eye, allowing for more comfort when wearing them. In addition, Proclear contact lenses and Acuvue's Oasys contacts are made specifically for people with dry eyes.

Reduction

• Some contact lens specialist prefer to treat the symptoms of dry eye before fitting the person for contact lenses. Artificial tears, dietary supplements, and medicated eye drops can be prescribed. Boston eye care specialist Dr. Donald Korb, one of the inventors of Soothe, an eye drop specially made for dry eye sufferers, said the eye drop can provide long-lasting symptomatic relief to dry eye sufferers. In more extreme cases, punctal plugs can be inserted into your tear ducts to block tears from leaving your eyes.

Effects

• The rubbing of the lens on the surface of the cornea can cause some instability of the eye. This might even occur if you are comfortable wearing contact lenses and wear them without pain or discomfort when you are awake.

Risk Factor

• A risk factor for dry eyes is wearing contacts, so it is important to speak with your ophthalmologist to determine what type of contact lens would suit you best.