Suppose you use contact lenses. On top of that, In that case, you find yourself blinking more than the average person with contacts, rubbing your eyes more than the next person, or searching for fake tears throughout the day; it might be good to know that you are not alone in this predicament. Dry eyes are the most common complaint reported by contact lens users. And let’s be honest with ourselves: constantly dealing with eyes that are scratchy and easily irritable can make even the most clear of visions and sights feel like nothing more than a burden rather than a blessing.
Thankfully, for those individuals, lens technology is nowhere as outdated and primitive as it used to be in the past and has come a very long way in terms of advancement and accessibility and creating solutions that are specifically designed and curated for those individuals who find themselves struggling with symptoms relating to dry eyes.
In this article, we’ll dive into contact lenses and explore the best contact lenses for dry eyes, along with guiding you step-by-step and pointing out what features to look out for, some tips and tidbits for managing the dryness in your eyes, and most importantly, how to select the best method to choose the most suitable lens for your needs. It doesn’t matter if you are new to wearing contacts or have been wearing them for years; there’s always a comfortable option for lenses.
Contextualizing Dry Eyes And Why Contact Lenses Makes Them Worse
Hold your horses before diving into which contact lenses to choose for your eyes; it is extremely crucial that you understand the root of this issue. Dry eyes are an irritating condition that happens under two main circumstances: when your eyes are either unable to produce enough tears or the tears that they do evaporate way too quickly. The bad news doesn’t end there, though; if you leave dry eyes untreated for a long time, you will, unfortunately, be faced with the reality of itching, redness, blurry vision, or that weird and gritty sensation you get as if there is actual sand stuck somewhere in your eyes.
When you do decide to spec up and wear contacts on your eyes, you put the lens directly on top of the area of your eye known as the cornea. This can oftentimes interfere with the natural tar film present in your eyes. This can lead to blockage of oxygen in your eyes and will draw and extract the moisture from the surface of your very eyes, and it can also lead to disruption in the natural process of your eye’s lubrication. This issue is especially exaggerated if you spend most of your time staring at a screen, sitting inside an air-conditioned environment. This issue can also be worsened just by the simple fact that you have your lenses on for an extended amount of time.
So, with all these problems listed, what are the solutions to counter them? The key to choosing the best contacts for dry eyes is to look for lenses that work with your tear film, not against it.
Main Features To Keep An Eye Out For When Going Shopping For Your Own Best Contacts For Dry Eyes
As you have already gleaned from the title of this section, here are some features that would prove beneficial for you when buying brand-new contacts for dry eyes:
- Make sure that your selected best contacts for dry eyes have the ability to keep that important moisture locked in and prevent it from escaping. This also means that your choice of contact lenses should have an above-average level of water content.
- This one point is often undermined by contact lens buyers, but what you need to also make sure of is that the best contacts for dry eyes that you end up choosing do have a nature of allowing oxygen to pass through easily to your eyes and also ensure that it does not act as a blockage to the oxygen trying to enter.
- When buying the best contacts for dry eyes, make sure those contact lenses are filled to the brim with daily disposables. This will assist you in minimising the buildup of protein or harmful debris in your eyes.
- One more important thing to keep note of is that the material of your selection of best contacts for dry eyes is not one that acts as a blockage for your eye’s natural hydration and instead helps your eyes maintain their recommended levels of hydration to keep that precious cornea of yours safe.
- Last but definitely not least, before finalising the purchase of your own best contacts for dry eyes, observe whether or not your contact lenses make use of smooth surface technology to reduce the friction produced by the contact between the lens and your eye as much as it can.
Top 5 Best Contacts For Dry Eyes According To Us
Enough jumping around the bush, as they say, and now let’s get into the main point of this article that you clicked for. Without further delay, here are our 5 picks for best contacts for dry eyes:
- Acuvue Oasys With HydraLuxe Technology: If the definition of the best contacts for dry eyes is a lens that is so soft that you barely even feel its presence, Acuvue Oasys with HydraLuxe is the way for you to go. The HydraLuxe technology, present in the best contacts for dry eyes, acts in the same manner as your natural tears would by making use of tear-like molecules embedded deep in the lens.
Backtracking a bit, The lens itself is made up of a specific material called silicone hydrogel, which assists in getting that oxygen right up to your cornea. The previously mentioned HydraLuxe technology also helps you to make your tear film stable and reduce the levels of dryness and irritation, especially after wearing these contact lenses for an extended period of time. - Alcon’s Dailies Total1: The name itself lays the best contacts for dry eyes, with the most standout quality, disposability, and versatility. The Dailies Total1 are well known by people for their design, which is known as being water gradient. This simply means that these best contacts for dry eyes have a 100% water content rate on their exterior surface.
These lenses come with the additional benefit of being extremely breathable thanks to their core, which, like the previously mentioned best contacts for dry eyes, make use of a silicone hydrogel core and are a great choice in general if you need an easily replaceable pair of lenses. - Bausch + Lomb ULTRA With Moisture Seal: The ULTRA series that was launched by Bausch + Lomb was specifically curated while keeping dry eyes in mind. The MoistureSeal technology they developed is crucial in helping the lens lock in 85% of its total moisture for a whopping amount of 16 hours. This is especially helpful if you find that your workdays are extremely long or you spend most of your time being focused on screens.
Moreover, the ULTRA line of lenses presents you with high-definition optics, which cut down on all the halos and glares surrounding you, making them perfect for late-night drives or working in low-light environments. - Biofinity By CooperVision: CooperVision’s Biofinity lenses are one of the best contacts for dry eyes. These high-tech contact lenses make use of disposables that are made by utilising a form of technology called ‘aquaform technology’, which are materials that, once moisture enters, cannot escape from like a highly secured prison and helps to maintain a smooth flow of oxygen.
The Biofinity lenses by CooperVison are perfect for people who prefer to wear their lenses on a monthly basis rather than having to replace them daily. Many users also attest to the soft and smooth feel of these best contacts for dry eyes. - Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde: The Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde lenses are one of the best contacts for dry eyes in the sense that these contact lenses offer a combination of SmartShield technology with the competent technology of HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix. Now, what this does is help your eyes by preventing them from building up deposits while also making sure that the moisture levels of your eyes do not drop below a certain threshold.
These best contacts for dry eyes are well known among the masses for their comfort, reliability and durability.
Extreme Cases Of Dry Eyes And Specialty Contact Lenses
These two types of specialised contact lenses are recommended in the case of severe dry eyes:
- Scleral Lenses: These contact lenses are large in diameter and tower over your cornea. They are often found resting on your sclera, creating a sort of chamber filled with liquid that constantly keeps your eye moisturised.
- Hybrid Lenses: These best contacts for dry eyes make use of a combination of a centre that’s tough and soft outer layers for the benefits of clear vision and comfort. These lenses act as a sort of middle ground between the visual benefits of hard lenses and the comfort of soft lenses.