Wearing soft contact lenses can cause dry eyes as they contain water that evaporates during the day and absorbs moisture from the eye. Rigid gas permeable lenses do not contain water but can repel it, making them worse for dry eyes. Hydrogel lenses are a compromise. Extensive use of contacts can damage the outer layer of the eye, leading to dry eyes. Taking a break from contacts or switching to a different type and using eye drops can help.
Many people who wear contact lenses complain of constant dry eyes. This is probably because the main connection between contact lenses and dry eyes is that the former often causes the latter. The popularity of soft contact lenses doesn’t help matters, as these types of lenses contain water. As water evaporates from the lens during the day, it absorbs moisture from the eye. Additionally, people who have worn contact lenses for years may have damaged the top layer of the eye, leading to both the inability to wear contact lenses comfortably and dry eyes.
Most soft contact lenses hold more water than other types of lenses, which may seem like a good trait. Unfortunately, the more water a lens holds, the more it tends to get from the eye as it dries during the day. Lenses are especially likely to dry out quickly when exposed to cigarette smoke, wind, air conditioning, or heat. Therefore, people who want to avoid the cause-and-effect link between contact lenses and dry eyes should consider using lenses other than soft, water-filled lenses.
It may seem preferable to wear rigid gas permeable lenses instead, as they do not contain water. Therefore, they do not need to draw moisture away from the eyes. Unfortunately, this usually doesn’t fix the problem since they repel water, which means they don’t work very well with the tear film. The stiffness and incompatibility with water often make it even worse for dry eyes than soft lenses. A compromise between soft lenses and the Rigid Gas Permeable type is the hydrogel type, as these lenses contain a small amount of water.
There is another likely connection between contact lenses and dry eyes, especially among people who have been wearing them for several years. Extensive use of contacts can cause damage to the outer layer of the eye, as the lenses can constantly rub against the surface and displace specialized structures just outside the cornea. Since these tiny structures are responsible for keeping the tear film balanced, it should come as no surprise that serious damage to them can lead to dry eyes. For this reason, those who have experienced an uncomfortable connection between contact lenses and dry eyes from constant lens wear may need to take a break from them for a while to let their eyes heal, or switch to a contact lens. easier on the eyes. Adding eye drops to your routine and avoiding smoke, excess wind, and heat can also help.
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