What are the Best Contact Lenses for Dry Eyes?

Dry Eyes? Which are the best Contact Lenses?

There are many different types of contact lenses, and some are better suited for people with dry eyes than others, daily disposable contact lenses in particular are a good choice. Many recent advancements in contact lenses make them comfortable to be worn by people with dry eyes every day and do a great job of keeping eyes lubricated.

Making sure that your contact lenses are as comfortable as possible is important. Clear vision should not come at the cost of eye health or comfort. 

Below are several types of contact lenses we sell that do an excellent job of keeping eyes healthy and hydrated.

Best Daily Disposable Contact Lenses For Dry Eyes

Daily contact lenses or daily disposables come out on top for dry eye wearers, as they are replaced daily preventing a build-up of protein deposits allowing maximum airflow to your eyes throughout the day. With high water contents and advancement in contact lens technology allowing the addition of lubricants and wetting agents, there is bound to be a daily contact lens to suit you. Here are our top 4 Daily disposable lenses for dry eyes.

	Dailies Total 1 One of the newest lenses to reach the market and so far the most effective at keeping eyes well lubricated. These lenses are the first to use a 'water gradient', which has a 33% water content at the lens core, which increases to 80% at the inner and outer surface of the lens. Most other lenses have a uniform level of water content throughout the entire lens.
	Crystal Aqua Daily The cheapest daily contact lens for dry eyes has a Hyaluronic moisturising agent embedded in its core, which acts as a powerful wetting agent - giving you great comfort from the moment it is put in, to the time you take it out. This daily lens is superb for dry eyes and our in-house trials often came back with the comment that this is the first contact lens that cannot be felt in the eye.
	Focus Daily Aquacomfort Plus Research has shown that end of day comfort is still the biggest problem for contact lens wearers. Alcon has addressed this problem by using the same ingredients found in artificial tears and rewetting drops - a compound called PVA, plus two other moisturising agents - and building these triple action moisturisers directly into the Aquacomfort plus contact lenses to provide all day comfort.
	1 Day Acuvue Moist  A soft lens that uses new technology. It combines the proven 1 Day Acuvue lens material with a moisture-rich proprietary ingredient. This creates a smooth, long-lasting cushion across the entire lens, which helps eyes feel fresh and comfortable all day long.

Best Monthly Disposable Contact Lenses For Dry Eyes

Monthly contact lenses are a good choice for contact lens wearers with dry eyes, especially if they contain silicone hydrogel, this material uses silicone instead of water in its composition, and doesn't dry out or take water from your eyes. According to a recent study by Wolfgang Sickenberger After 3 months of daily wear with silicone hydrogels some contact lens patients improved their wear time dramatically. In addition, patients reported fewer sensations of dryness and grittiness plus improved comfort at the end of the day. Here are our top 4 monthly disposable lenses for dry eyes

	Biofinity Manufactured using a state-of-the-art silicone material that bonds to water molecules, these lenses will keep your eyes comfortably moist for up to 16 hours. They also allow plenty of oxygen to flow directly through the lens and into your eye, keeping them healthy and fresh, without drying out.
	Air Optix Plus Hydraglyde Silicone hydrogel lenses are the best at maintaining moisture levels while also allowing oxygen through so that your eyes can still breathe. These lenses use a Hydraglyde Moisture Matrix Technology, which is an innovative reconditioning agent that embeds in soft contact lenses and means the lenses retain moisture for longer, boosting comfort levels throughout the day.

Best Toric Contact Lenses For Dry Eyes

Just because you have astigmatism and dry eyes doesn't mean you can't wear contact lenses, with the advancement in technology both daily contact lenses and monthly lenses are available for toric lens wearers. Below are our top 4 toric contact lenses for dry eyes.

	Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric Manufactured by Alcon (previously Cibavision), Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric uses 'Lightstream Technology' for thin, streamlined contact lenses that provide good edge comfort and crystal clear vision. In addition, the contact lenses use a blink activated moisture technology to deliver refreshing comfort all day.
	1 Day Acuvue Moist for Astigmatism These lenses are perfect if you want to experience clear and stable vision, whatever your activity whilst enjoying the comfort, convenience and health benefits of a daily lens. Thanks to the established technologies of Accelerated stabilisation Design providing crisp stable vision throughout the day as well as the embedded LACREON technology providing a long-lasting cushion of moisture for exceptional comfort all day.
	Air Optix for Astigmatism A great lens that combines a new level of comfort with enhanced Oxygen capability, which provides superior all day comfort in a lens that is healthy for your eyes. The Hydraglyde Moisture Matrix Technology is an innovative reconditioning agent that embeds in soft contact lenses and means the lenses retain moisture for longer, boosting comfort levels throughout the day.
	Biofinity Toric This lens is made from the breakthrough Aquaform material which allows greater levels of oxygen to freely flow through the lens to the eye. Higher oxygen supply lenses are known to create whiter, healthier more hydrated eyes or many contact lens wearers.

Best Multifocal Contact Lenses For Dry Eyes

Although dry eyes can affect people of any age, it is more prevalent in women and in older people. According to NICE it is reported that 15 to 33% of people aged 65 years or over have dry eye disease, so it's great to know there are multifocal lenses available for dry eye sufferers. Here are our top 4 varifocal contact lenses for dry eyes

	Dailies AuqaComfort plus Multifocal Another pair of exceptional daily disposables for those who suffer from presbyopia, Dailies AquaComfort Plus Multifocal makes use of a Triple Moisturising Formula. They’ve also been designed with blink-activated technology, so that eyes are refreshed every single you blink.
	1 Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal  are some of our best-selling daily disposable multifocal lenses. Created with comfort and hydration in mind, these dailies feature LACREON technology to deliver all day moisture for those with even the most sensitive of eyes.
	Air Optix Aqua Multifocal  This impressive multifocal contact lens is made from silicone hydrogel, ensuring eyes stay fresh, and healthy during wear. Air Optix Aqua Multifocal is renowned for its suitability to sensitive eyes, maintaining their water content throughout the day.
	Biofinity Multifocal Suitable for monthly wear, or as extended wear lenses (if approved for you by an optician), Biofinity Multifocal lenses are ideal for dry eyes. Aquaform Technology, coupled with a breathable silicone hydrogel design, keeps the lenses soft, flexible and wettable, guaranteeing comfort and hydration from morning to night.

Do Contact Lenses Give You Dry Eyes?

Contact lens wearers can suffer from dry eyes, although not technically dry eye syndrome, Contact Lens Induced Dry Eyes (CLIDE) could be caused by the types of lenses that you choose to wear. This is because many soft contacts are made of plastics that incorporate water - with some of them containing between 40 and 80 percent water and can limit the oxygen reaching your eyes.
The water-filled nature of these contacts is designed to keep the lenses moist and comfortable. As the day goes by, the lenses can begin to dry out and then absorb moisture from your eyes, this leads to both dryness and discomfort. One option is to switch to lenses made from silicone hydrogel. This material uses silicone instead of water in its composition and doesn't dry out or take water from your eyes.

There are some specific reasons contact lens wearers can suffer from dry eyes

• Insufficient oxygen flow - to produce natural tears. Consult your optician if you think this is the case for you.
• Overwear - can lead to your eyes not getting the rest they need. We recommend wearers to take off one day a week if possible.
• Wearing the wrong prescription - can lead to dry eyes.
• Your eyes have changed shape - so your lenses don't fit properly.
• Aerial allergens - like pollen and dust can irritate your eyes, leading to discomfort.
• Air conditioning and humid conditions - are often the cause of dry eyes.
• Too much screen time- can lead to reduced blinking causing eyes to dry out

Always consult with your Optometrist to help determine which lenses are best for you. They will take into consideration the cause and symptoms of your dry eyes and help you determine which lenses to try. Lens materials like Silicone-Hydrogel lenses allow much more oxygen to reach the cornea than other types of soft lenses, these typically cost a bit more but may also cause less water to evaporate. 

What Are The Symptoms Of Contact Lens Dry Eyes?

• Dry, itchy eyes
• Gritty sore eyes
• Red eyes
• Tired or fatigued eyes
• Stinging eyes
• Soreness of the eye
• Light sensitivity
• Blurry vision

How To Treat Dry Eyes 

Here are some do's and don'ts recommended by the NHS to help with dry eyes

Do

• Keep your eyes clean
• Take breaks to rest your eyes when using a computer screen
• Make sure your computer screen is at eye level so you do not strain your eyes
• Use a humidifier to stop the air getting dry
• Get plenty of sleep to rest your eyes
• If you wear contact lenses, take them out and wear glasses to rest your eyes

Don’t

• Do not smoke or drink too much alcohol
• Do not spend too long in smoky, dry or dusty places
• Do not spend too long in air conditioned or heated rooms
• Do not stop taking prescribed medicine without getting medical advice first – even if you think it's causing your symptoms

What Are The Best Eye Drops For Dry Eyes?

Eye drops can offer great relief if you suffer from dry eyes, however if you are a contact lens wearer then it's important to make sure you choose an eye drop that has been designed to be used with contact lenses. 

Blink Contacts Blink are an easy to use eye drops with contact lens wearers in mind, they moisten and refresh the eyes, with the use of hyaluronate, a naturally occurring substance found in your eyes, which helps to reduce discomfort. With Blink Contacts on hand you can wear your contacts longer without experiencing dry eye symptoms.

What Is The Best Contact Lens Solution For Dry Eyes

If you wear monthly or two-weekly contact lenses you will need to use a solution, not all multi-purpose solutions are equal, some are definitely better than others at helping to keep your eyes hydrated. It has been reported that solutions containing high amounts of preservatives can cause eyes to become dry. 

Acuvue RevitaLens The newest member of the ACUVUE® family, delivers a fresh lens feeling every morning. The unique formulation with dual-disinfecting technology effectively kills harmful bacteria whilst offering all day comfort.

If you think you have dry eye syndrome or Contact Lenses induced Dry Eyes (CLIDE) then we recommend you contact your Optometrist and discuss your eye care and contact lens options. It's recommended that everyone gets their eyes tested at least every two years. For many people, free eye exams are offered on the NHS.