5 Simple Tips To Manage Dry Eye With Contact Lens

You must admit that contact lenses have given a lot of convenience to our lives. But it may also come with some disadvantages. It shouldn’t be a big problem for most people, but some may feel some irritations when wearing contact lenses. One of the issues that you may face will be dry eyes.

Whether you are wearing contact lenses or not, dry eyes are a common issue many people face in this era. The main reason is your eyes can’t produce enough tears or produce poor-quality tears to keep your eyes moist. It can lead to discomfort, irritation, or damage to the surface of your eyes.

There are many factors that cause dry eyes, such as age and environmental factors. Many people struggle with the discomfort caused by dry eyes and can feel helpless, especially if they want to wear contact lenses. But is it possible to wear contact lenses if you have dry eye issues? In this article, we will discuss how you can manage your dry eyes syndrome when wearing contact lenses.

Tips To Manage Dry Eyes When Wearing Contact Lenses

1. Change Your Contact Lenses

Basically, there are a few types of contact lenses in the market. The main types are soft and hard contact lenses. Some contact lenses allow oxygen to go through the lenses to reach your eyes, while others may not. It is important to find contact lenses that are breathable.

How do breathable contact lenses help with dry eyes? When the oxygen reaches your eyes, it helps to keep your eyes healthy. At the same time, it can help to keep your eyes moist and keep away some of the symptoms of dry eye.

Dk value is used to measure the permeability of the contact lenses. The higher the permeability is, the more oxygen is allowed to pass through the contact lenses, and it will have a higher Dk value. If the Dk value is lower, the contact lenses may not be as porous, and it may cause more symptoms with dry eyes.

2. Don’t Sleep With Your Contact Lenses On

Many people tend to sleep with their contact lenses on, especially those who opt for extended contact lenses. But, it is still best to remove your contact lenses before you go to bed. Wearing contact lenses to sleep will increase the risk of causing an infection in your eyes.

The risk of getting an eye infection when wearing contact lenses to sleep is because your eyes will not receive as much oxygen as it needs as they need. It will then become a potential breeding ground for bacteria and also keep your eyes dry.

Sleeping with your contacts on means you will be leaving them in your eyes for a longer period. This also means that you are not cleaning your contact lenses regularly, leading to bigger problems.

3. Change Your Contact Lens Solution

If you are only facing issues of dry eye after you start to wear contact lenses, It may be related to your contact lens, and your contact lens solution may be one of the reasons that lead to dry eyes. There are many types of contact lens solutions in the market, and each of them has its own use.

You need to understand whether you use the correct solution to clean your contact lens. You can read our article on choosing the right contact lens solution to clean your contact lens. It may help you to solve your dry eyes.

Contact lens solution may lead to dry eyes due to certain solutions may contain substances that can irritate your eyes and leave them dry. Some may contain ingredients that are not suitable for certain types of contact lenses. If you think the contact lens solution is the reason that causing you to have dry eyes, you can check with your doctor or try other brands to see if it works for you.

4. Switch To Your Eyeglasses

Most of you will wear contact lenses from the moment you wake up and only remove them before you sleep. But one thing you need to remember is the longer you wear your contact lenses, the higher the risk your eyes will get dry.

It is best not to wear your contact lens for long hours. You should let your eyes breathe for a few hours besides your sleeping hours. Your eyes will have better exposure to oxygen without a contact lens. Do prepare your eyeglasses aside to interchange with your contact lens.

The best way is to wear your eyeglasses when you wake up, only change your contact lenses before you go out, and remove your contact lenses once you reach home. You can play around with how much time you want to wear your contact lenses, but you should also give your eyes a break to maintain healthy eyes.

5. Use Artificial Tears

One good way to keep your eyes moist is to use artificial tears. Look for those eye drops that are meant for dry eyes; you can consult your doctor for them. These eye drops help to keep your eyes moist and help you manage the discomfort that is caused by dry eyes.

Some people may not be able to wear contact lenses for long hours, and these eye drops help them minimize the discomfort. But you will have to be cautious when using these eye drops. Most of them have preservatives in them. Using them too much can irritate your eyes.

If possible, opt for preservative-free artificial tears. If you are not sure which type to choose. You may check with your eye doctor, and they will recommend one that suits you.

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