Why are dry eyes common with contact lenses?

Contact lens wearers can be more susceptible to dry eye and it can be common for them to feel some discomfort. This can be due to a number of reasons such as wearing your lenses for too long, not maintaining lens hygiene, conditions in your environment - in particular air conditioning - chronic eye allergies and wearing the wrong type of contact lens. Occasionally, it might be that dirt or grit can get behind the lens and cause discomfort.

What is Dry Eye?

Dry eye syndrome (DES) occurs when your tear glands don’t make enough tears or the tears you produce evaporate too quickly or aren’t of the appropriate quality. Approximately 1 in 3 adults, even as many as half of adults in the UK,¹ are diagnosed with dry eye and many will experience symptoms when they spend time in specific environments or do certain activities.

Why does it happen?

Dry eyes have many different causes and may be impacted by several factors, including your age, hormonal changes and existing health conditions. As tear production diminishes with age, people over the age of 50 can also be an at-risk group.²

Women tend to be more likely to experience dry eye symptoms due to hormonal changes that can happen when using birth control, during pregnancy or leading up to and throughout the menopause. These situations can cause a lack of tears, which may lead to dry eye. Screen usage and exposure to pollutants may also contribute to your risk.

Symptoms you might experience if you have dry eye include:

Dry, itchy, sore, red, gritty eyes
Excess watering
Sensitivity to light and wind
Blurred vision
Foreign body sensation

Why does Dry eye happen with contact lenses?

People who wear contact lenses can be prone to both temporary (acute) and long-term (chronic) dry eye syndrome. You might suffer from temporary discomfort because you’ve worn your contact lenses for too long, spent too much time in air-conditioned spaces, or have been staring at a computer screen for long periods, for instance.

If you already suffer with Dry Eye, contact lenses might make your eyes feel more uncomfortable. This is because you need the lenses to retain sufficient moisture on an already dry eye surface. Research shows contact lenses can disrupt the tear film’s function and stability due to the friction caused between the surface of the eye and the lens.³ This is why it is important to ensure that you are wearing the right type of contact lenses for your eyes, and you should not simply purchase lenses from the internet – following the advice of an eye care professional and having regular review is essential!

Managing dry eye symptoms with contacts

As well as practising good lens hygiene, such as thoroughly washing and drying hands before touching your contact lenses or your eyes, you can manage your symptoms by:

Getting tailored advice from your optometrist
Choosing the right lenses for your lifestyle
Taking regular breaks from triggers e.g. screentime
Applying a warm compress on your eyelids
Adopting a good eye lid cleansing regime
Regular use of preservative-free lubricating eye drops, as advised.

Dry Eye treatments for contact lens wearers

Théa has a range of preservative-free dry eye drops that are contact lens friendly:

Get up to four hours per drop of dry eye symptom relief and help protect the surface of the eye with Thealoz Duo® eye drops. Preservative-free, they contain a unique combination of trehalose and sodium hyaluronate.
Hydrate and provide occasional comfort for dry, tired eyes with Hyabak®.
Cleanse eyelids and lashes with Blephaclean® sterile wipes as part of your daily eye care routine.

Explore our full range of easy-to-apply eye drops that are suitable for contact lens wearers in our online store.

¹Sullivan BD et al. Clin Ophthalmol. 2024;18:743-753; Vidal-Rohr M et al Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2023 Jun;46(3):101837.

²RNIB

³ Nichols JJ et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013. 18;54:TFOS7-TFOS13. doi: 10.1167/iovs.13-13212; Jones L et al. The Ocular Surface. 2023. 29:175-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2023.04.010