Dry Eyes with Contacts

Contact lenses can be a great option for people who are bothered by the appearance of eyeglasses or by the limitations that glasses place upon some life activities. However, wearing contact lenses can cause dry eyes. Some people have worn contact lenses for years and then developed dry eyes; some never could wear contact lenses due to a pre-existing dry eye condition. Dry eyes are typically caused by the failure to secrete enough tears, or dry eyes can be caused by failure to produce tears of adequate quality – that are thick enough to slow the rate of evaporation.There are two types of contact lenses: soft contact lenses and rigid gas permeable lenses. The two types of contacts have different effects upon the eye and therefore offer different prognoses for sufferers of dry eyes.

Dry Eyes and Soft Contact Lenses

Soft contact lenses are made from hydrophilic plastics that contain water. “Hydrophilic” means “liking” or “attracting” water.  As water evaporates from the outer surface of the lens while it is being worn, the lens absorbs water from your own natural tears to replenish its moisture. This, in turn, causes you to have dry eyes. Your eyes may feel tired, be red, and have that a sandy or gritty feeling. Your vision may become blurry, and sometimes your eyes can be painful.

In addition to the problem of moisture loss, the continual rubbing of the lens across the surface of the cornea may result in sloughing off of the microscopic, hair-like structures on it, which assist in keeping the tear film stable. Years and years of gently chaffing these fine structures can result in poor tear film stability, leading to dry eyes.

Most contact wearers facing these symptoms of dry eyes reach for artificial tears for relief, or they may wash their contact lenses several times a day to get rid of the debris (mucous) that forms on the inside of the contact lenses. For some, using artificial tears become a routine procedure, sometimes repeated as often as once an hour. But the eyes still feel dry. Soon this condition worsens and wearing contact lenses become unbearable.

Environmental factors can worsen the irritation of dry eyes caused by wearing contacts. Being close to dry heat from a furnace, the flow of air from an air conditioner, or smokers can exacerbate the symptoms, as can wind when out of doors.

Dry Eyes and Rigid Gas Permeable Contact Lenses

Rigid gas permeable lenses usually give the wearer more visual acuity (the ability to see sharper images). They are manufactured from polymeric materials that are hydrophobic (do not contain any water at all and repel water). The challenge for creators of rigid gas permeable contact lenses is to enhance the wetting characteristics of the lenses so that they are compatible with the tear film. Even with these special formulations, their surfaces are more prone to drying and to creating dry eyes.

The problem of mechanically chaffing the fine structures on the surface of the eye is even greater with rigid gas permeable lenses because of the stiffness of the lenses.

Suggestions for Dry Eye Relief

There are simple things we can do to facilitate the relief of dry eyes such as:

• Use TheraLife® Eye to increase tear production
• Sit away from an air vents or heaters
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day
• Exercise regularly
• Wear wrap-around sunglasses while outdoors
• Avoid drafts and wind
• Go to an eye doctor to select a contact lens material that may be more suitable

Doctors sometimes put in a punctal plug in the tear ducts in order to retain more tears. Artificial tears do help temporarily, but prolonged use of artificial tears creates a dependency, in the sense that it trains the eyes to secret fewer and fewer tears, in which case the dry eye condition only worsens.

How TheraLife Can Help

An alternative is to try a system of oral supplements that helps your tear glands secret your own tears naturally throughout the day. TheraLife® Eye Enhanced capsules are formulated to be taken orally. TheraLife® Eye is unique because it targets tear secretion through intra-cellular mechanisms (internal cell functions). Once a person has established stability on TheraLife® Eye and feels general relief, they can take the capsules with them when doing outdoor activities that involve being exposed to sun and wind. Those who are on a TheraLife® Eye Enhanced maintenance dosage can simply take a few more capsules in addition to the regular dosage when eyes feel dry again due to temporary environmental changes. Usually the relief comes within 20-30 minutes. Give TheraLife® Eye Enhanced a try.

Testimonial

“I wore contact lenses for more than 10 years, and they began to stick onto my eye balls. I tried eye drops and cleaning them often, but the mucus kept on building up. Doctors put in punctal plugs and prescribed eye drops; none of it worked. I have been on TheraLife now and am so happy with the results!” – A.M. Jenks, North Carolina

The TheraLife® Eye Difference

• All-natural products without the side effects of drugs
• 100% safe and pure ingredients, FDA approved
• Provides lasting relief for chronic dry eye discomfort
• Helps reduce irritation and inflammation of the tear glands, eye surfaces, and eyelids
• Helps restore your eyes’ ability to produce their own natural tears
• Clinically proven – 86% of patients in a clinical study showed increased tear production
• Helps more than fish oils or flax seed oils alone because of its unique, patented formulation of nutrients, phytochemicals, and proprietary herbal extracts that
  • Improves ocular micro-circulation – to deliver more nutrients and oxygen to the eye, while carrying out more harmful waste products
  • Stimulates Mito-Activation – to boost intracellular metabolism and restore normal cell function
• Keeps your eyes healthier and stronger
• 90-day money back guarantee