Wearing Contact Lenses When You Have Sensitive Eyes

6 March 2015
 Categories: , Blog

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Contact lenses allow you to see as if you were wearing glasses without having to place frames on your face, and they provide much comfort for the most part. If you have sensitive eyes, however, contacts can feel gritty, burn, and can even cause dryness and irritation for the entire time that they are in your eyes. Learn how you can still enjoy great vision comfortably with contacts, even if your eyes are more on the sensitive side.

Talk to your eye doctor 

The first thing you need to do if you have sensitive eyes is talk to your eye doctor about them. Let them know the symptoms you experience when you have your lenses in, such as dryness, a gritty feeling in your eyes, or even redness. Your eye doctor can give you an exam with your current contact lenses in to make sure they are the right fit for your eye shape, and can check your eyes for dryness and oxygen intake. You may need to change the type of lenses you use to ones that are more breathable.

Consider daily disposables

Many people who have sensitive eyes to contact lenses are most comfortable with daily disposable contacts that they can throw away each day. A brand-new pair of contacts daily can help your tender eyes feel more at ease, which can allow you to wear them for longer periods of time. You also get the benefit from having less exposure to bacteria from removing and storing your contacts on a daily basis. Ask your eye doctor if daily disposables can work for your needs.

Wear contacts less

If you have sensitive eyes, you may find yourself ignoring your discomfort so you can wear your contacts for as long as possible. Doing this can cause damage to the surface of your eyes, and actually make your condition worse. Try not wearing your contacts at least one day a week, switching to attractive glasses instead. Or, take your contacts out sooner in the day so your eyes can take a break. This can help your eyes be less sensitive to the uncomfortable feel of contacts.

Use the right solution

There are contact solutions for people who have sensitive or dry eyes, as well as eye drops that you can use throughout the day while you are wearing your contact lenses to provide relief. Talk to your eye doctor about the supplies you can get to help you wear contacts more successfully so you can be comfortable in them all day.

When you have sensitive eyes, wearing contacts can feel like torture. Talk to your eye doctor such as Glacier Eye Clinic about the many options available to you to help make wearing contacts more enjoyable.