7 Practical and safe guidelines for using soft lenses for dry eyes

Many people with dry eyes avoid wearing contact lenses (soft lenses). It feels awkward, if you don't wear contact lenses your vision will be blurred, but if you use contact lenses you are worried that the pain, itching, and redness of the eyes will get worse. So, is there the right solution if you want to keep using soft lenses for dry eyes?

A safe guide to using soft lenses for dry eyes

Dry eyes occur when the production of tears, which should be responsible for moisturizing the entire eye, does not function optimally. For those of you who have this condition, you may feel hesitant when you want to wear contact lenses.

Indeed, inaccurate way of using and treating soft lenses can actually worsen dry eyes. In fact, it can increase your risk of infection, making you uncomfortable.

However, Alisha Fleming, O.D., an eye specialist at Penn Medicine in the United States, said that you can still use soft lenses for dry eyes. Provided, you want to apply the safe rules, including:

1. Make sure your hands are clean before using contact lenses

This rule should be applied by all contact lens users. The reason is, immediately holding and wearing contact lenses without washing your hands first can risk transferring pathogens that cause infection from your fingers to contact lenses, then ending up in your eyes.

The key is to make it a habit to always wash your hands with soap then rinse with running water until clean. Then dry all parts of your hands before using contact lenses.

2. Remove the contact lens before going to bed

The habit of sleeping with contact lenses can damage the natural tear production, which should lubricate all parts of the eye. As a result, your dry eyes will feel worse.

Not only that, Nicky Lai, O.D., an eye health specialist at The Ohio State University, explained that often forgetting to take off the contact lens while sleeping can harm the cornea, which is the outermost protective layer.

The reason is because the amount of oxygen that enters the eye during sleep is not as much as when the eyes are open.

3. Use disposable contact lenses

There are two types of contact lenses that are commonly on the market, namely those that can be worn for several months and disposable contact lenses. Well, the most recommended soft lenses for dry eyes are those that shouldn't be used for a long time. It would be even better if you choose disposable softlens.

Why? Because soft lenses that have been used for a long time have a lot of dirt accumulated in them, making it difficult for the tears to spread evenly throughout your eye area, said Vivian Shibayama, OD, an ophthalmologist at UCLA Health, California.

4. Clean the contact lens case every time you use it

Source: IDN Times

Not only contact lenses that you have to keep clean, but also the container for storing contact lenses. Do this regularly every time you use contact lenses, or even every day to ensure cleanliness.

As a rule, after the contact lens is applied to the eye, the contact lens container must be rinsed using a soft lens cleaning solution or liquid. Then let it dry or wipe it with a clean tissue. All of these steps can reduce the chances of inflammation and infection causing eye problems.

5. Use eye drops as often as possible

Eye drops are one of the must-have items for people with dry eyes. The production of tears that are not able to lubricate the eyes properly can be further helped by the presence of artificial tears from eye drops.

Tears have an important role as eye protection from germs while maintaining overall eye health. That is why, an insufficient number of tears in someone with dry eye will not only create discomfort, but also increase the risk of infection.

6. Avoid wearing contact lenses for a long time

Contact lenses are not designed to be used for a long time, especially for a full day. Ideally, normal eyes can wear contact lenses for up to 10 hours a day. However, if you have dry eyes, the time to use contact lenses will automatically be shorter.

Dr. Shibayama also added this, according to him, you should give space for the eyes so that you can breathe freely for a few hours a day. That is, set aside some of your time in a day without using contact lenses. The goal is to let the eye get enough oxygen and nutrients from the water that is naturally produced by the eye, without having to be obstructed by contact lenses.

7. Routinely check with an ophthalmologist

Adhere to the schedule for seeing an eye doctor, even if your dry eye symptoms are getting better. Especially for those of you who wear contact lenses, usually the doctor will check the whole eye as well as prescribe new eye drops according to the eye condition. You can also consult about the complaints that you may have experienced while using soft lenses for dry eyes.