Contact Lenses for Dry Eye?

[bobsacamenoh]

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What are the best contact lenses for dry eye patients? Is there a significant risk of damage to the eye even if the patient is outfitted with the most appropriate lens? How big is the risk of eye damage if the dry eye patient wears a general lens not specifically produced for dry eye?

 

[vtrain]

What are the best contact lenses for dry eye patients? Is there a significant risk of damage to the eye even if the patient is outfitted with the most appropriate lens? How big is the risk of eye damage if the dry eye patient wears a general lens not specifically produced for dry eye?

As a general rule, contact lenses are contraindicated in dry eye patients. More often than not, dry eye patients can't even tolerate a lens being placed in their eye. The question is
what exactly do you mean by "dry eye" because that is a medical condition of several etiologies. If you truly have pathologic dry eye, I wouldn't recommend contacts at all and it will probably further worsen the problem if you do use CLs. If you have "dry eye" wearing contacts, some brands are designed to help the eye retain some of its moisture during CL wear. I really like 'Extreme H20' as alot of my patients have had success with this brand.

 

[rpames]

Often times RGP's can be used w/ Dry Eye.

 

[vtrain]

Yes. Low-absorption RGPs are also suitable for dry eyes. This might be an especially good option if your patient is a young myope.