Contact lenses use should be easy, smooth, and comfortable. Yet for millions of people across the world, putting on their lenses results in scratchy, irritated and red eyes by the middle of the day. Millions suffer from dry eye syndrome, making them think that they need to ditch contacts forever and wear glasses instead.
Good thing there is good news! With the developments in optometry, materials used in lenses, and hydration of the ocular surface, comfort in wearing contact lenses is once again a reality. Find out how to achieve clear vision without irritation.
All your queries pertaining to the best contacts for dry eyes and how to deal with them while wearing contact lenses have been answered in this extensive guide, which highlights the best lenses, solutions, eye drops, and other practices that help keep your eyes moist.
Understanding Dry Eyes and Contact Lenses
In order to understand how contacts cause your eyes to become dry, one has to consider how a contact lens fits into the eye. In a normal healthy eye, there is a film of moisture that coats it called the tear film. It is made up of three layers which are:
- Lipid (Oil) Layer: Outermost layer that ensures tear films don’t evaporate.
- Aqueous (Water) Layer: Middle layer that moisturizes and cleanses the eyes.
- Mucin Layer: Innermost layer that binds the tears to the eye surface.
In the case of a soft contact lens, it sits directly on top of this tear film, creating two thin layers of tears: one underneath the lens and the other above the lens. In cases where there is a lack of sufficient production of high-quality tears or a very quick evaporation of tears from the eyes, the lens draws moisture from the surface of the eye like a sponge. This causes the symptoms associated with dry eyes: grittiness, irritation, and blurred vision among others.
Why Silicone Hydrogel Matters
In the past, soft contact lenses were manufactured using conventional hydrogel technology. Although these soft lenses were flexible, conventional hydrogel materials depended significantly on water to transfer oxygen to the cornea. The conundrum about high-water content hydrogels is that as the material loses moisture throughout the day, the only way for it to remain moist is to absorb moisture from your tear film.
Currently, contact lenses are made using silicone hydrogel contact lens technology. Silicone provides for the transmission of high amounts of oxygen into the cornea without the dependency on the volume of water.
Daily Disposables vs. Monthly Lenses: Which Is Better for Dry Eyes?
In deciding the best contacts for dry eyes, there is always one question that arises: Should one opt for daily, two-week, or monthly replacement contacts? Eye care professionals have almost an agreement about one thing when it comes to dry eyes, and that is to use daily disposable contacts.
1. Minimal Deposit Accumulation
Every time you put on your contact lenses, proteins, lipids, and environmental allergens accumulate on the surface of the lens. After some time, these deposits will make the surface rough, causing irritation to the inner lid and affecting the tear film, leading to dryness. Every day, your daily contact lenses are thrown away each night.
2. Zero Contact Lens Solution Irritation
Cleaning solutions used in contact lenses have preservatives that help to kill bacteria. People with sensitivity and dry eyes can experience mild irritation and erosion of the fragile ocular surface due to continued exposure to such chemicals. Disposable contacts are not required to be cleaned and rinsed and thus avoid solution dryness.
3. Built-In Hydration Technologies
It is common practice for manufacturers to utilize moisture-retaining techniques of the highest standard for their daily wears only.
Top Picks: What Are the Best Contact Lenses for Dry Eyes?
The question regarding what are the best contact lenses for dry eyes is addressed by optometrists who identify certain daily disposable lenses that help in maintaining the natural tear film. The following is a list of contact lens choices created for dry eyes.
1. Alcon Dailies Total1
The Water Gradient Design technology is often recommended as the most effective technology by eye doctors for those suffering from dry eyes. The Alcon Dailies Total1 lens contains this innovation.
- Functionality: The material of this lens includes a silicon hydrogel with the level of hydration equal to 33% for increased permeability. But on the very edge of this contact lens, there is a layer of hydration of over 80% up to almost 100%.
- Advantage: As your eye surface touches only a wet layer, there is no mechanical friction with the eyelid when blinking.
2. Bausch + Lomb Infuse
Bausch + Lomb Infuse Daily Lenses are designed uniquely to tackle the problem of lens dryness in order to ensure the ocular surface remains in a state of homeostasis.
- The Secret of How It Works: The lenses have ProBalance Technology where the combination of potassium, glycerin, and erythritol is embedded right inside the lens material.
- Why This Helps Dry Eye Patients: These vital components release gradually from the lens throughout the day as it is worn, thus helping to stabilize the tear film and reduce dryness even after prolonged use when looking at digital screens.
3. ACUVUE OASYS 1-Day with HydraLuxe Technology
The ACUVUE OASYS lens line has been synonymous with comfort in homes across the country, but the ACUVUE® OASYS 1-Day is a great choice for people with dry eyes.
- The Technology Behind it: It uses HydraLuxe Technology™, which contains an increased number of tear-mimicking molecules throughout the silicone hydrogel matrix, as opposed to a surface treatment.
- How it Helps with Dry Eyes: The lenses mimic a tear film in the way that they interact with the natural mucin layer in your eyes, reducing friction during tired late-day blinks.
4. CooperVision MyDay Daily Disposable
MyDay lenses by CooperVision provide perfect oxygen permeability, softness, and moisture content with the help of Aquaform Technology.
- How It Works: Aquaform Technology provides a naturally hydrophilic silicon hydrogel lens with the water trapped within its structure without any need for additional surface modifications and wetting agents.
- What It Does for Dry Eyes: It ensures high comfort and flexibility of the lens which does not irritate dry eyes.
Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Dry Eyes as a Contact Lens Wearer
The management of symptoms of dry eyes when using contact lenses involves a daily process. Here is what you should do to ensure maximum comfort for your eyes throughout the day.
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| MORNING ROUTINE |
| 1. Hydrate Eyes (Wait 15 mins) -> 2. Insert Fresh Daily Lenses |
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| MID-DAY CARE |
| 3. Apply Re-Wetting Drops -> 4. Practice 20-20-20 Rule at Screens |
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| EVENING CARE |
| 5. Remove Lenses Early -> 6. Apply Warm Compress / Preservative- |
| Free Drops Before Bed |
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Step 1: Prepare Your Eyes Before Insertion
Do not put in your contact lenses into your eyes that are dry or irritated in the morning.
- Wash your hands carefully using an unscented soap.
- If your eyes are dry in the morning, use preservative-free re-wetting drops in each of your eyes.
- Wait for 10 to 15 minutes before putting in your lenses.
Step 2: Use Proper Insertion Technique
- Examine the lens for any tears, foreign matter, and/or reversed position.
- Scented hand creams, lotions, and soap should be avoided prior to touching your contact lenses, as the oils will coat the lens.
Third Step: Manage Environmental Factors During the Day
- Keep computer screens at a slightly lower position than eye level. The eyes will have a smaller surface area exposed to the air, hence reducing evaporation of tears.
- Make sure you avoid having direct flow of air from the air conditioner, heater, or from car vents towards your face.
Step 4: Hydrate Periodically Throughout the Day
- Do not wait for your contacts to become dry and uncomfortable to instill rewetting drops.
- Use drops suitable for contact lenses 3 to 4 hours in advance.
Step 5: Remove Contacts Gently and Rest Your Eyes
- Take out your contacts for at least 1 to 2 hours before sleeping to provide a break for your corneas from oxygen. And enable tears to spread naturally.
- Apply a warm compress on closed eyelids for 5 to 10 minutes during the night time to open blocked oil glands in the eyelids.
Eye Drops and Contacts: Finding the Right Match
Re-wetting drops are essential to dry eye patients, but using the wrong drops will end up messing up your contacts or hurting your eyes.
Finding the Best Eye Drop for Dry Eyes Contacts Wearers
When looking for the best eye drops for dry eyes contacts. You have to ensure that on the label it clearly says “Safe for Use with Contact Lenses” or “Re-Wetting Drops.”
The lubricant eye drops meant for use by people without lenses may have very thick oils. When used over contact lenses, these oils tend to build up on the lens surface, leading to blurred vision.
What is the Best Eye Drops for Dry Eyes with Contacts?
The right eye drops for people with dry eyes and wearing contact lenses should be the one without preservatives. Or those with soft preservatives which decompose when exposed to light and tears.
1. Preservative-Free Re-Wetting Drops
The preservatives such as BAK may interact with the materials used for making soft contact lenses, leading to accumulation during the day and resulting in significant epithelial cell toxicity. The preservative-free drops should be used preferably from single-use vials.
- Recommended Brand Options: Refresh Relieva for Contacts, Systane Complete Preservative-Free (ensure lens compatibility), or Blink Contacts Lubricating Eye Drops.
2. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Formulations
Sodium hyaluronate is a natural product present in the body that is capable of binding with water 1,000 times its own weight. Eye drops containing hyaluronic acid can lubricate the eye for a long time. Thereby decreasing the friction between your contact lens and inner eyelid.
Solutions for Reusable Contact Lenses
In the event that you choose to use biweekly or monthly contact lenses over daily disposables. The lens cleaning solution becomes an extremely important aspect of your dry eye treatment.
What Is the Best Contact Lens Solution for Dry Eyes?
When wondering which contact lens solution is good for dry eyes, the optometrists mention mainly two types. The hydrogen peroxide solutions and the advanced multi-purpose solutions with moisture matrices.
| Solution Type | Primary Benefits | Key Considerations | Best For |
| Hydrogen Peroxide Systems | • 100% Preservative-free after neutralization • Superior cleaning and disinfection • Removes tough lipid/protein deposits | • Requires a special neutralizing case • Must soak for at least 6 hours before insertion • Un-neutralized liquid causes intense burning | Sensitive eyes, severe dry eye symptoms, chemical allergies |
| Advanced Multi-Purpose Solutions | • Convenient all-in-one cleaning, rinsing, and storage • Contains added wetting agents (e.g., HydraGlyde) • Easy to use | • Contains mild preservatives • Lower cleaning power than peroxide | Mild dry eyes, active lifestyles, travel |
1. Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning Systems (Top Recommendation)
- Examples: Clear Care Plus, Boston Simplus (for hard lenses).
- How it Works: The hydrogen peroxide solution is used to deep disinfect lenses while simultaneously removing any deposits on the lens; no chemicals or preservatives are needed for the process. The case itself uses the platinum disc in order to convert the peroxide solution to sterile saline over 6 hours.
- What it Gives You: Sterile and clean lenses that are fully saturated with sterile water.
2. Premium Multi-Purpose Solutions with Moisture Retaining Agents
- Examples: OPTI-FREE Puremoist, Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution.
- How its Works: These solutions contain dual-wetting agents which bind themselves to the surface of the lens. They help it maintain a moisture cushion for up to 16 hours.
Key Ingredients to Seek and Avoid
The knowledge of labels of products helps prevent further irritation of the eyes during the purchase of drops, solutions, and contacts.
Ingredients to Seek
- Hyaluronic Acid/Sodium Hyaluronate: Retains water molecules on the surface of the contact lenses.
- Polyethylene Glycol / Propylene Glycol: Acts as a lubricating layer protecting the eye.
- Electrolytes (Potassium, Calcium): Mimics natural tears for the health of the ocular surface.
- Silicone Hydrogel Material (Filcon II 3, Verofilcon A, Stenfilcon A): Oxygen-delivering contact lenses materials.
Ingredients to Avoid
- Benzalkonium Chloride (BAK): It is an aggressive preservative used in regular eye drops, which is harmful to corneal cells and ruins contact lenses.
- Tetrahydrozoline or Naphazoline: It is found in “redness relief” eye drops. This acts as a vasoconstrictor to reduce redness, which results in severe rebound redness and causes dryness.
- Alcohol or Fragrances: Found in some skin care products which can easily come into contact with the lenses from your hands.
Daily Lifestyle Habits to Combat Contact Lens Dryness
Even the best contacts for dry eyes will not completely solve the problem of dry environmental factors and bad practices. Apply these daily practices to maintain proper tear film:
1. Follow the 20-20-20 Rule
Blinking frequency reduces by up to 50% when viewing digital screens such as phones, computers, and television. Lack of blinking does not allow tears to be evenly distributed on your eyes, making the lenses dry out.
- Rule: At 20-minute intervals, focus on something that is at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Pro Tip: While focusing away, blink completely 3 to 5 times to get new oil squeezed from your meibomian glands onto your contact lenses.
2. Stay Hydrated from the Inside Out
If you are dehydrated, your eyes will not be able to create an adequate aqueous tear film layer. Try to take at least 8-10 glasses of water during the day, particularly if you consume coffee, tea, or alcohol because they are natural diuretics.
3. Consider Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements for dry eye, which can be found in fish oil, flaxseed oil, and walnuts, help the meibomian glands in the eyelids remain healthy. Healthy meibomian glands secrete clear oil that does not let the tears evaporate. Research shows that taking high-quality supplements containing EPA and DHA for 3-6 months helps relieve dry eye symptoms in contact lens wearers.
4. Use an Indoor Humidifier
Office buildings with air conditioning and hot rooms will absorb moisture from the atmosphere very quickly, increasing tear evaporation rates. Use of a cool mist humidifier in your surroundings is very helpful in maintaining humidity levels.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I wear contact lenses if I have severe dry eye syndrome?
Indeed, contact lens usage is very possible for dry eye syndrome patients. However, you should work closely with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. The doctor might recommend certain contact lenses, such as daily disposable lenses that are gradient, scleral lenses, or treating the condition itself with prescribed eye drops like Restasis or Xiidra.
What is the difference between regular eye drops and re-wetting drops for contacts?
Normal eye drops (such as ordinary artificial tears or redness-reducing eye drops) are made for naked eyes. They might have compounds that will stain, bend, and coat the lenses, leading to blurry vision and eye irritation. On the other hand, re-wetting eye drops are designed in such a way that they can be used on the lenses.
Why do my contacts feel dry only at the end of the day?
Daytime dryness is mostly because of low tear secretion, deposition of proteins and lipids on the lenses, use of digital screens, and low frequency of blinking. A change of contact lens to a daily disposable lens with good oxygen permeability and preservative-free re-wetting solution at mid-afternoon will solve this problem.
Is high water content always better for dry eyes?
No, rather, a high amount of water in hydrogel contact lenses may worsen dry eyes. Since high water content is responsible for making lenses flexible, they will absorb water from your tear fluid in order to preserve their shape as they dehydrate. Silicone hydrogel lenses with medium water content and high oxygen permeability would be better suited for dry eyes.
How do scleral lenses help with dry eye syndrome?
Scleral lenses are high-Dk (high oxygen permeability) gas-permeable lenses that vault over the whole cornea and sit on the white portion of the eye known as the sclera. There is a gap between the lens and the cornea that is filled with a preservative-free, sterile saline solution. This acts as a constant pool of tears bathing the eye’s surface throughout the day.
Conclusion
Having dry eyes is not a reason to give up on your contact lenses and wear glasses only. Due to the technological progress in the manufacturing of contact lenses, the choice of the right lenses for people with dry eyes. For example, daily disposable contacts like Alcon Dailies Total1, Bausch + Lomb Infuse, and ACUVUE OASYS 1-Day, may bring you tremendous changes in your daily life.
Combining daily disposable lenses made of silicone hydrogel or water-gradient materials with preservative-free re-wetting solutions. Will help you get clear and comfortable vision throughout the day.
Always discuss any changes concerning contact lens type or care procedure with your eye care professional, as he/she will be able to determine the tear film quality and provide you with the right lenses for your eyes.
