Dry eye is a common condition. It occurs when your eyes do not produce enough tear to keep your eyes lubricated. It can also occur if the tears that you produce are of poor quality, and they dissolve before lubricating your eyes. This is a condition that can be treated by Andrew Stone Optometry; however, it can make wearing traditional contact lenses difficult.
What Are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?
Dry eye causes a variety of symptoms that are extremely uncomfortable. These include:
- A sensation of having something in your eye
- Stinging or burning in the eye
- Redness of the eye
- Watery eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Trouble driving at night
- Difficulty wearing traditional contact lenses
Contact Lens Options
Traditional contact lenses can make the symptoms of dry eye worse. The contacts need your eyes natural lubrication to stay moist. If you do not have adequate lubrication, the lenses will dry out quickly. This can make them uncomfortable to wear and can increase your vision problems. If you have dry eye and you do not want to rely on eyeglass to see clearly, there are contact lens options for people with dry eye.
- Daily lenses: If you want to wear traditional soft lenses, your eye doctor might recommend daily lenses. These lenses are worn once and then thrown away. Daily lenses contain more water than weekly, bi-weekly and monthly lenses, which will keep your eyes moist. Daily lenses are the only soft lens option for dry eye.
- Rigid gas-permeable: Rigid gas-permeable contacts are made of a harder material, and they allow more oxygen to reach the eye. They also provide clear, crisp vision. If dry eye is making it hard for you to focus, these lenses are an excellent option.
- Scleral contacts: Scleral contacts differ from traditional contacts because they do not sit right on your cornea. Instead, the lenses sit on the white of your eye, known as the sclera, and vault over the cornea. Because the lenses are not sitting right on the cornea, they will not absorb the little natural moisture produced by your eye.
- Ortho-K: Ortho-K lenses are only worn at night. While you are sleeping, these lenses will temporarily change the shape of your cornea, which will correct your refractive error. When you wake up, you would take the lenses out and your vision will be clear all day. These lenses are great for dry eye because you only wear the contacts when you sleep, and your eyes do not require much moisture when they are closed. When you are awake, you will not need to wear contacts that can dry your eyes more.
If you have dry eyes and want to wear contacts, the doctor at Andrew Stone Optometry can fit you with a specialty pair of lenses. Just because you have dry eye, it does not mean that you cannot wear contacts. To schedule an appointment, give us a call today.
