If you wear contacts, you likely know the feeling: by the end of the day, your eyes feel scratchy, tired, and dry. You find yourself blinking constantly or reaching for rewetting drops just to make it through the evening.
That discomfort doesn’t have to be your “normal.” The most comfortable contact lenses for dry eyes utilize specific materials, a lower water content, or are designed for daily replacement to prevent irritation. Finding the right option starts with a dedicated contact lens exam and fitting with your optometrist.
Why Your Contacts Might Feel Dry
You might wonder why your contacts make your eyes feel this way. A contact lens is a foreign object that sits on your cornea, which needs oxygen to stay healthy. Some lenses limit oxygen flow or even absorb the natural tears your eyes produce, triggering symptoms of dry eye syndrome.
Additionally, proteins from your tears can build up on the lens surface over time. This creates friction and irritation with every blink, making the lenses feel heavier and more noticeable as the day progresses.
Lens Features That Combat Dryness
High-Performance Materials
The material your contact lens is made from plays a big part in its comfort. Many modern soft contacts use a material called silicone hydrogel.
This material allows significantly more oxygen to pass through the lens to your cornea. Think of it like a more breathable fabric for your eyes. This extra oxygen helps reduce dryness and irritation, especially after long hours of wear.
Water Content
It sounds counterintuitive, but lenses with lower water content often perform better for dry eyes. This is because a high-water-content lens acts like a tiny sponge. If your eyes don’t produce enough tears, the lens pulls moisture from your eye to stay hydrated.
Lenses with less water don’t require this extra moisture, leaving your natural tears where they belong, on the surface of your eye, where they can keep you comfortable.
Popular Contact Lens Types for Dry Eyes
Certain types of contact lenses can be more comfortable for those with dry eyes. Some can even help you manage dry eye symptoms.
Daily Disposable Lenses
One simple way to improve comfort is to start with a fresh, clean pair of lenses every single day. Daily disposables remove the opportunity for irritating deposits to build up.
Since you throw them away at night, there’s no cleaning routine or protein buildup to worry about. Options like Dailies Total1 or Acuvue Oasys 1-Day are specifically engineered for relief from dryness.
Scleral Lenses
Scleral lenses offer a different approach to hydration. These larger-diameter lenses rest on the white part of your eye (the sclera) and “vault” completely over the cornea.
This design creates a small reservoir of saline solution between the lens and your eye. Your cornea is bathed in this soothing fluid all day, providing constant hydration that can be a great option for more severe dry eye.
Tips for More Comfortable Lens Wear
Sometimes, your lens care habits can be the biggest contributor to dryness. Here are some tips for your routine:
- Change Your Solution: Sometimes your solution causes dryness. Switching to a preservative-free formula or a different brand can resolve issues.
- Use Approved Rewetting Drops: Ensure your drops are formulated for use with contact lenses.
- Practice Good Hygiene: Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly to avoid transferring oils or debris to the lens surface.
- Give Your Eyes a Break: Even the best lenses feel better if you give your eyes a rest. Remove your contacts an hour or 2 earlier in the evening, or dedicate 1 day a week to wearing your glasses.
- Respect the Schedule: Never “stretch” 2-week lenses into 3 weeks. Following the replacement schedule protects your eye health and keeps your vision clear.
How a Professional Fitting Helps
Your eyes are as unique as your fingerprints. A contact lens that works for someone else might not be the right choice for you due to your specific eye shape, tear quality, or lifestyle.
A professional fitting allows your optometrist to measure your eyes precisely. We often include a trial period so you can test the lenses in your real-world environment before committing to a full supply. An optometrist can identify underlying causes for your dryness and recommend a personalized plan to get you back to comfortable wear.
Step Into Comfortable Vision
You don’t have to put up with scratchy, dry eyes from your contact lenses. The team at Eye Care Center of Colorado Springs is ready to help you explore the kinds of lens technology available to you. Schedule a contact lens consultation to explore your options and find a lens that keeps your eyes feeling great all day long.
