Contact Lens for Dry Eyes
Do you get dry eyes when you wear contact lenses?
You're not alone. Dry eyes is a common problem for individuals who wear contact lenses. Symptoms can include red eyes, sore eyes, gritty feeling and end-of-day discomfort when you just want to take your lenses out. Some people need to use rewetting eye drops many times a day, and others stop wearing contact lenses altogether because of dry eyes.
We can help.
We have all the solutions and lens options to improve your comfort with contact lenses.
1. New generation of soft contact lenses
Try the latest soft contact lenses designed for dry eyes. These new advanced lens materials improve eye lubrication, oxygen flow to the eye and significantly increase wearing comfort throughout the day. Alcon Dailies Total 1 and Menicon Miru 1 Day Upside are two of the most comfortable soft contact lenses available today.
2. Hard contact lenses | Rigid gas permeable lenses
Hard contact lenses (or rigid gas-permeable RGP lenses) dry out less than soft lenses as they do not draw moisture from your eyes. They are certainly a good option for individuals who are intolerant to dryness with soft lenses, particular for higher prescriptions and astigmatism correction where soft lens options are more limited. Hard contact lenses also provide excellent quality of vision.
3. Orthokeratology lenses | Ortho-K lenses | OK lenses
Ortho-K, also called OK lenses, are a special type of hard contact lens worn at night-time. As the lens is worn only during sleep and are removed upon waking, there is no contact lens-related dryness during the waking hours — in front of computer screens, in air-conditioned offices, in dusty or dry environments.
We have many patients successfully wearing Ortho-K lenses as a solution for their dry eye issues with regular day-time contact lenses. Ortho-K is an overnight vision correction treatment available for most prescriptions.
4. Scleral lenses
For individuals with extreme chronic dry eyes, often associated with systemic disorders such as Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, the best option may be scleral lenses, or mini-scleral lenses.
A scleral lens is a specialty large-diameter rigid contact lens that rests comfortably on the sclera, the white part of the eye. A pool of artificial tears, held between the lens and the cornea, keeps the eye surface well hydrated and lubricated. Scleral lenses can be life-changing for patients with severe dry eyes. We are experience and knowledgeable with the expertise to fit scleral lenses.
