Contact Lenses Causing Dry Eyes?

Don't you just hate it when your eyes are dry and itchy? It is definitely one of the worst feelings for such a sensitive area. Your instincts tell you that you should rub your eyes when they are dry. However, this only leads to a drier more irritated eye. If you are tired of dealing with dry eyes, here are a few tips that will help clear up the problem for you.

First, understand what is causing your eye to become dry and then eliminate the triggering factor. One of the most common causes of dry eyes, believe it or not, is simply not blinking enough. Often when we sit in front of the TV or the computer, we are not blinking our eyes as often as we should. When we blink, we are actually coating our eyes with tears. These tears help maintain the health of the eye.

Contact lenses may also be causing your eyes to become dry. Instead of allowing tears to moisturize the eye, often soft contacts soak up the tears. Again, this results in dry irritated eyes.

Another cause of eye irritation and dryness is prescription medicine. There are certain prescriptions whose side effects include "dryness" which encompasses the tear ducts. If this is causing your eyes to be dry, talk with your medical doctor and see what options are available to counteract this side effect.

Outside of prescription medicine side effects, treatment for most cases of dry eyes consists of purchasing an over-the-counter eye lubricant (artificial tears). These lubricants can be used as many times as needed until the problem dissipates. However, if the dryness stays for an extended period of time, you may need to be tested by your optometrist to ensure that there is not a more serious underlying problem.

It is important to note that for contact wearers, it is better to try a rewetting drop specially formulated for contact lenses before trying any artificial tear solution. Again, talk to your optometrist if you are unsure about which solution will work best for your specific brand of contact lenses.

By understanding what is triggering the dryness in your eyes, you can stop it with the use of over-the-counter eye drops or the appropriate contact lens rewetting solution in most cases. As always, talk with your optician if the problem persists.