How to Prevent Dry Eyes When Wearing Contact Lenses

Dry eyes can be uncomfortable and even painful. In most instances, contact lenses don’t cause dry eyes directly, but will only make existing symptoms much worse. This is particularly true during the night when most patients experience symptoms associated with dry eye syndrome. Fortunately, there are several simple steps you can take to relieve those symptoms.

Causes of Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye is a common issue that many people have to deal with. The dryness may be caused due to various reasons. Allergies, environmental factors, medication, colds, flu and even emotional stress can cause dry eye syndrome. For some people, environmental causes of this disorder include exposure to cigarette smoke and dust mites.

Visit the Eye Doctor Regularly

One step you can take to prevent dry eyes is to see your eye doctor regularly. This should be done once or twice per year, depending on your age and health. Your eye doctor will be able to spot potential problems with your vision, and he may be able to prescribe alternative contact lenses if dry eye syndrome persists.

Dry Eye Treatment

One of the best ways to prevent dryness in your eyes is by using artificial tears. There are many eye drops that can be purchased over the counter. Just make sure to select eye drops that are safe for use with contact lenses. You may need to use the eye drops and wait 10 minutes before putting in your contact lenses.

If your condition is due to environmental factors like too much exposure to sunlight, then you need to find ways to protect your eyes from excessive sunlight. A good example of this is wearing protective eyeglasses when outdoors. If you take these steps and still experience dry eye, it is a good idea to speak with an eye doctor to ensure there isn’t an underlying health concern.

In some cases, this dryness is also caused by contact lenses. For instance, if you wear contact lenses every day, then it is very important to wash your hands thoroughly and take off the contact lenses before going to sleep at night to give your eyes time to rest. For more information regarding contact lenses in Tampa, please get in touch with a member of our team at Florida Eye Center.

To schedule a consultation for dry eye treatment in Tampa at the Florida Eye Center, please request an appointment today.

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