Are you a contact lens wearer whose lenses are not as comfortable as you would like, but you put up with it, cutting down the amount of time you keep them in and resenting the time you have to spend in your glasses?
Are you worried that telling your optician about your difficulties will cause them to say you must stop wearing your lenses? Maybe you have been told you cannot wear contact lenses because your eyes are too dry, or tried to use them and gave up because they were so uncomfortable?
According to studies in professional journals, you are not alone and over 40% of contact lens wearers give up on their lenses due to discomfort1,2.
Contact lens wear and Dry Eye Disease are closely linked.
Contact lens wear can make existing dry eyes drier, and dry eyes make contact lens wear more difficult3.
Reduced Tear Quality
Contact lenses act as a barrier, displacing the tear film and preventing the tears from spreading properly across the eye's surface: tears become more concentrated, leading to inflammation and irritation.
Irritation
Contact lenses irritate your eyes which can lead to inflammation that contributes to Dry Eye and blepharitis.
If you have discussed your contact lens comfort issues with your Optician, and know that the problems you are experiencing are not related to the fit or type of your lenses, then you may benefit from a different approach to managing your dry eyes.
