If you wear contact lenses and experience dry, irritated eyes throughout the day, you’re not alone. Many contact lens wearers struggle with dryness that can make their lenses uncomfortable or even unwearable. At Discover Eyecare, we see patients daily who face this challenge, and understanding the causes is the first step toward finding the right solution.
Dry eyes with contacts happen due to several factors including contact lens materials that reduce oxygen flow, decreased blink rates during screen time, environmental conditions like air conditioning, and buildup of proteins on lens surfaces. Understanding these causes can help you find the right solutions to keep your eyes comfortable.
How Contact Lens Materials Affect Your Eye Moisture
The type of contact lens material you wear plays a major role in how your eyes feel throughout the day. Different materials interact with your natural tears in various ways, and some can actually work against your eye’s natural moisture system. Understanding soft versus hard contact lenses can help you make better choices for your comfort.
Oxygen Permeability & Your Comfort
Contact lenses with low oxygen permeability can reduce the amount of oxygen reaching your cornea. This creates an environment where your eyes produce fewer natural tears. Your eyes need proper oxygen flow to maintain their natural moisture balance.
Material Types That Impact Tear Production
Hydrogel lenses absorb water from your tear film to stay moist. Silicone hydrogel materials allow more oxygen through but can feel less comfortable initially. Different materials interact with your natural tears in unique ways, which is why proper contact lens care and replacement is so important.
Screen Time & Digital Eye Strain with Contacts
Your digital habits can significantly impact how comfortable your contact lenses feel. When you spend hours looking at computers, phones, or tablets, your eyes behave differently than they do during other activities. This is particularly relevant for digital eye strain management.
Reduced Blink Rates During Screen Use
You blink about 60% less when looking at screens compared to normal activities. This reduced blinking means your tear film doesn’t refresh properly across your contact lens surface. Your eyes become dryer as the day progresses with extended screen time. The 20-20-20 rule can help reduce this strain.
Blue Light & Contact Lens Interaction
Digital screens emit blue light that can contribute to eye fatigue when wearing contacts. Your eyes work harder to focus on digital content, which can reduce natural tear production. This combination creates additional dryness beyond what contacts alone might cause.
Environmental Factors That Worsen Contact Lens Dryness
The air around you has a direct impact on how your contact lenses feel. Many environments that feel comfortable to your skin can actually create challenging conditions for your eyes, similar to how winter conditions affect dry eyes.
Air Conditioning & Heating Systems
Climate-controlled environments remove moisture from the air around you. Dry air causes tears to evaporate more quickly from your contact lens surface. Your eyes struggle to maintain adequate moisture levels in these conditions.
Wind & Outdoor Conditions
Wind accelerates tear evaporation and can cause contact lenses to shift on your eyes. Dust and allergens in outdoor air can stick to your lens surface and irritate your eyes. These factors combine to create uncomfortable dryness throughout the day.
Contact Lens Care & Cleaning Issues
How you care for your contact lenses can either help or hurt your dry eye symptoms. Poor cleaning habits or incompatible products can make dryness worse, even with high-quality lenses. Understanding proper contact lens wear and care is essential for comfort.
Protein & Debris Buildup
Proteins from your tears accumulate on contact lens surfaces over time. This buildup creates rough spots that disrupt your natural tear film. Your eyes produce fewer comfortable tears when lenses aren’t properly cleaned.
Solution Compatibility Problems
Some contact lens solutions contain preservatives that can irritate sensitive eyes. Incompatible cleaning solutions may leave residue that affects lens comfort. Your eye doctor can help you find solutions that work with your specific lens type, similar to how they recommend safe contact lens practices.
Practical Solutions for Contact Lens Dryness
You don’t have to live with uncomfortable, dry contact lenses. Several practical options can help you enjoy clear vision without the irritation and discomfort you might be experiencing now.
Daily Disposable Options
Daily disposable contact lenses eliminate cleaning solution issues and protein buildup problems. You get a fresh, clean lens each day without the maintenance routine. These lenses can provide more consistent comfort for people with dry eyes.
Specialty Lenses for Dry Eyes
Scleral lenses create a moisture reservoir between the lens and your eye surface. Some contact lenses are specifically designed with materials that retain moisture longer. Your optometrist can evaluate which specialty options might help your situation.
Professional Dry Eye Treatments & Contact Lens Management
When home remedies and lens changes aren’t enough, professional dry eye treatment can make contact lens wear comfortable again. We offer several in-office treatments that address the root causes of dryness.
Treatments like intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy and radio frequency (RF) therapy can improve the quality of your natural tears by restoring proper Meibomian gland function. Both IPL and RF help reduce inflammation around the eyelids and support healthier oil production, which strengthens the tear film. Meibomian gland expression is often performed alongside these treatments to clear blockages and further enhance comfort while wearing contact lenses.
Certain prescription eye drops can increase your natural tear production while wearing contacts. We can recommend drops that work safely with your specific contact lens material. Regular eye exams help monitor your progress and adjust treatments as needed.
Finding Relief from Dry Contact Lenses
At Discover Eyecare, we know how frustrating it can be when your contact lenses feel dry or uncomfortable. Our experienced team takes the time to understand your unique vision needs and identify what’s causing your discomfort — whether it’s lens material, fit, or underlying dry eye symptoms.
Using advanced diagnostic tools, we can evaluate your eye surface health, review your current lenses, and recommend personalized solutions, from moisture-rich lens options to targeted dry eye treatments. Our goal is to help you enjoy clear, comfortable vision all day long.
Book your comprehensive eye exam today at Discover Eyecare in Chilliwack or Abbotsford, and take the first step toward more comfortable, worry-free contact lens wear.
