Contact Lenses for Dry Eye

It is ironic the season we most like to wear contact lenses is the most challenging for our eyes. The summer time facilitates our most active life styles where we do not want to be encumbered with our glasses or we want to be able to choose a great pair of sunglasses without the hassle of getting the lenses changed to our prescription.

The challenges I am referring are many, the increase in temperature, allergy season, longer periods out doors and tiredness. The wearer that was no problems will absorbed these extra challenges well and the patient that was problematic to begin with gets derailed.
It helps to understand how we as optometrist assess contact lens wearers. The fit and movement of the contact lens will indicate both the current and future prospects for the patient with that particular lens. An ill fitting contact lenses might feel comfortable and symptom free but problems are brewing. There is an optimum fit for a reason, it leads to long term hassle free lens wear. This we know.

Conjunctivitis is a familiar term but frequently mis understood. The conjunctiva is a clear membrane that runs from the edge of your cornea along the globe of the eye ball down underneath the lower lid and up underneath the upper lid, envelopes back on itself to attach again at the lid margins.

Any reason this tissue inflames is called conjunctivitis, from hay fever, to a virus, a bacterial infection to poking your finger in your eye can result in this tissue becoming inflamed and being termed conjunctivitis. Here we are looking at the conjunctival layer beneath the upper lid and noting the level of inflammation. The tissue is normal flat, lubricated and smooth, sliding easily over itself in a friction free process.

The eye reddens due to the sclera, which is normally clear and white, enjoying a blood supply from beneath, becoming irritated where an inflammatory reaction occurs. The surface of this tissues needs oxygen, nutrients and blood cells to battle the irritant. You can see the scale of redness by which we record the degree of the condition.

Redness due to lens wear

When the contact lens are removed the cornea is assessed using a dye. This highlights a few things primarily how the front layer of the cornea is coping with having a lens on it. The greater the staining the greater the number of dead cells on the surface and the less happy the cornea!

So what to do. There are a lot of contact lenses for dry eye on the market. Each manufacturer realizes how widespread the problems are so they have developed lenses to cater for this market. Ciba Vision has the most recent arrival of their Dailies Total 1. This is a revolutionary new lens and you can read my write up here, Dailies Total 1

Johnson & Johnson in their Acuvue range have several daily and fortnightly disposable offerings, see here Acuvue family of Contact Lenses
Their TruEye lens being probably their best offering when considering contact lenses for dry eye.

Our Pinterest board gives a good over view of the contact lenses we offer. Click on any of the images to be directed to our website to place an order.

Alternatively if you would like to submit your personal request in selecting contact lenses for dry eye please email us from here and we will respond with professional advice.