Contact lenses can cause uncomfortable dryness over time, but recent improvements in materials have made them more comfortable for dry eye sufferers. Brands like Proclear® Compatibles and Acuvue® Oasys are made with a hydrogel material that holds less water than previous lenses, making them ideal for people with chronic dry eyes or who are exposed to environmental drying agents. Rigid Gas Permeable lenses can become even more uncomfortable than soft lenses in dry environments.
Many people with correctable vision problems choose to wear contact lenses instead of eyeglasses, for aesthetic reasons or for comfort concerns. However, many forms of contact lenses come with their own set of problems and one of these can be uncomfortable dryness over time. While there is no specific type of contact lens for dry eyes, recent improvements in the materials used to create contact lenses have made them more comfortable for dry eye sufferers. Contact lens brands like Proclear® Compatibles and Acuvue® Oasys, for example, are made with a hydrogel material that holds much less water than previous lenses.
Ideally, a soft contact lens floats on a protective film of natural tears during use. For people with chronic dry eyes or who are constantly exposed to environmental drying agents like cigarette smoke or air conditioning, this natural tear layer can be compromised. The result is a dry, uncomfortable contact lens that doesn’t move freely across the eye. Using special moisturizing eye drops can help temporarily reduce discomfort, as can re-soaking the lenses in a cleaning solution.
The problem with many traditional contact lenses is that they contain significant amounts of water, up to 75% in some cases. This may not seem like a problem at first, but wet contact lenses tend to lose moisture due to dehydration throughout the day. The water evaporates through the front of the lens, and the contact lens material sucks in, or absorbs, tear fluid from the eye to make up for the loss. This creates an uncomfortable dryness that can only be relieved by rehydrating the lens. Ideally, contact lenses for dry eyes shouldn’t have such a high water content.
The common alternative to soft contact lenses that absorb moisture is a harder contact lens known as a Rigid Gas Permeable, or RGP. RGP contact lenses do not contain water, so apparently they should work well as contact lenses for dry eyes. In fact, RGP lenses can become even more uncomfortable than soft contact lenses if the wearer’s tear film has been compromised over time or if they work in a very dry environment.
Both Proclear® Compatibles and Acuvue® Oasys contact lenses are made with an advanced material that contains only 30% water. When used in conjunction with approved eye drops or prescription drugs like Restasis, these hydrogel contact lenses are perhaps the best contact lenses for dry eyes available on the current eyewear market. Many contact lens manufacturers are continuing to experiment with new materials and techniques to address the dry eye problem associated with contact lens wear.
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