Tens of millions of people in the United States wear contact lenses because of their benefits like being more convenient, offering excellent peripheral vision, and being capable of correcting your vision without altering your appearance. However, while contacts can have many great benefits, some issues can arise with them, such as dry eye syndrome. Those who already have sensitive, dry eyes may find regular contact lenses unbearable.

Does that problem sound familiar? Well, don't despair quite yet. At Beach Vision, our optometry team is here to help find the right contacts for you so that you can enjoy a clear vision wherever you go in New Smyrna Beach, Ponce Inlet, Edgewater, and the surrounding communities.

What are Dry Eyes?

Dry eye syndrome is a sort of catch-all term that optometrists and optometry professionals use to describe when a person suffers pain, burning, or a gritty feeling in their eyes due to an inability for their eyes to properly lubricate. Dry eyes can be caused due to a medical condition, such as damage to the eye's tear glands, the result of hormonal and general aging changes, or due to medications like antihistamines or improperly fitting contacts. That's right, according to one study, nearly half of contact lens wearers will develop a type of contact lens related dry eye condition as a result of using the corrective lenses.

Choosing the Right Contact Lenses for Dry Eyes

If you suffer from dry eyes, then it's important to talk to your doctor about it. Remember, you're not alone. Whether you’ve had dry eyes before wearing contacts or you've suffered the syndrome as a result of your contacts, there are several solutions that your optometrist can recommend.

• Switching to Proclear disposable lenses. Some disposable lenses are designed to be used for 30 days, with the user taking them out overnight. Changing your contacts daily helps prevent protein deposits which can often contribute to dry eyes. Additionally, the brand Proclear is the only FDA-approved contact lens to contain phosphorylcholine which attracts water and serves to reduce dry eye discomfort.
• Switching to high-water content lenses. If Proclear isn't right for you, ask your eye doctor about other contact lenses that have a high-water content.
• Switching to a larger lens size. Typical contact lenses are designed to just cover the iris, but in doing so they can cause grating issues with the rest of the eye. So, another solution to reduce the occurrence of dry eyes is to switch to a scleral contact lens which is designed to cover the entirety of the scleral, which is the white portion of the eye.

Schedule Your Eye Care Appointment Today

For more information about contact lenses for dry eyes or to schedule an appointment, call Beach Vision today at 386-423-7788. If you live in New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Ponce Inlet, or any of the surrounding communities, call us today to book your appointment.