Contact lenses for dry eyes. Most of us will experience a bit of eye dryness at some point in our lives. If you are the sort of person who spends time in front of digital devices- phones, tablets and computers, then there's no escaping it. This coupled with air conditioning or dry air will mean for certain, you would have experienced dryness already.

If you wear contact lenses, these challenging environments can affect the comfort of your lenses over the day and leave you itching, sometimes literally, to take them out. Many contact wearers give up on lenses due to the discomfort they feel. For some it can feel like they are walking around with a stone in their shoe!

Luckily the lens manufacturers have recognised this and worked to bring new materials and designs that improve comfort. Even so, everyone is an individual and what works for some may not work for others.

But there are also things you can do to improve the symptoms. Our eyes are taken for granted in the way we work. Imagine running a marathon for 7 hours with only a break for lunch, you would end up with sore muscles. This is what you put our eye muscles through when staring at a computer screen at work over the day without breaks. 

Did you know, your blink rate falls when concentrating on your screen, be it a desktop, laptop or phone. This is also true for print on paper. 

The 20/20/20 rule

Follow this rule when doing any concentrated activity and you will find your eyes feel less tired and comfortable. Every 20 minutes of activity should be followed by 20 second of blinking whilst looking at a distant object. 

If you are thinking, how am I going to remember to do this? Help is at hand in the form of hand little apps or programs you can install to remind you. 

Eye vitamins

Did you know that most of the Uk population is deficient in Omega-3 as we don't consume the amount of fish that is required to maintain good levels. The result of this is a poorer quality tear film.

Our tear film and particularly the outer layer made of meibum is an oil based layer. Its consistency effects the ability of the glands to secrete it. Too thick and it will not make it to the eyes surface easily. This can be one of the causes of dryness. 

Omega-3 improves the consistency of the meibum, allowing it to be more thin and runny. This means that it will do a better job of stopping your tears from evaporating too quickly. 

Consider taking supplements/ eye vitamins. Lagad Lacrima and Omega Eye work to improve the tear film and are great for contact lens users as you don't need to rely on eye drops. 

Drops for dry eyes

Using lubricating drops can definitely improve your comfort with your lenses. It is a good idea though to speak to your eye care professional about the underlying cause of the discomfort. It could be that your lenses don't move very well on the surface of your eyes, that they are a little too tight or that the material no longer suits. Things can change over time, so lenses that may have been great previously are now not as good. 

If using drops, you must make sure they are suitable for use with contact lenses. You should avoid preserved drops with things like benzalkonium chloride as they will enter the lens material and cause toxicity reactions in the eyes. 

Preservative free lubricating drops like Avizor Lacrifresh Acu-dry or Hycosan are suitable for contact lens wearers as they are preservative free.

Daily disposable contact lenses for dry eyes

In the UK, companies like Bausch & Lomb, Alcon and Cooper vision have lenses catered for you and your drier eyes. That doesnt mean they are only for those with dry eyes. Increased performance is good for everybody. 

Alcons relatively new lens Dailies Total 1 may sound like a toothpaste but is a very unique lens in the way it has been designed. 

• Worlds first and only water gradient lens from core to surface bringing the highest breathability and lubricity
• First and only water gradient contact lens featuring 33% water content at the core that transitions to over 80% at the surface, and the water content at the outer surface reaches almost 100%, nearly the same as the surface of the cornea

Bausch & Lomb on the other hand have their Biotrue ONEday contact lenses. These maintain 98% of their moisture for up to 16 hours and do this using a unique material that works like the eye to form a dehydration barrier providing comfort all day long.