Contacts

[mylittlem]

I have read quite often that contact lenses can be the cause of dry eye. I am never quite sure when I see this comment if it refers to dry eye being an issue while wearing the lenses or if it refers to long-term damage that has been done by the contacts thereby causing the dry eye.

Any comments from those of you who have been contact lense wearers? I had asked my doctor and he did not seem to feel that there would be dry eye problems once one were to discontinue the usage. I would be intersted to hear first hand experiences.

MylittleM

[Mastiff]

I don't know either. I've worn RGP contacts and I sometimes wonder if the "break in" period associated with those can make dry eye worse. You are basically training your eye not to react as much to things touching it, but I think that sensitivity is critical to making you release tears. I don't think I used to be able to have an eyelash sitting on my eye without tearing up, but now it happens all the time.

[kitty]

Dry eye is the most common complaint amongst contact lens wearers.

Contact lenses absorb the tear film, and rub against the conjunctiva in the eyelids, which may cause or exacerbate dry eye. Long-term contact lens wear may decrease epithelial nerve sensation, which would reduce the stimulus to produce more tears.

http://www.dryeyezone.com/encyclopedia/causes.html

[indrep]

Contact lenses do several things. They rob the ocular surface of tears which provide nutrients to the cornea. They cause corneal nerve sensation to be reduced, this causes the brain not to know what the cornea needs in type of tear. If the brain senses damage it sends reflex tears which are super hypertonic. This creates an inflammatory response on the ocular surface. This leads to inflammation which reduces the meibomian and lacrimal glands from secreting their lipids and aqueous. After only three years of this inflammation those glands can atrophy and stop producing any secretions at all.

[Guest]

. After only three years of this inflammation those glands can atrophy and stop producing any secretions at all.

Do you have a link for the source of this info?? That was an interesting bit of info, and I'd like to read more... I assume this was from a study??

[indrep]

I will look up which study it was in but it will be Tuesday or Wednesday before I can get to it.

[Guest]

Thanks Indrep!

[blogger100]

In my case contact lenses were the cause. I've worn contacts back in 2009, 8-10hours a day, 4x a week. Late 2009 my eyes were getting some redness, no pain or dryness, quit contacts. An ophtalmologist had me on Patanol S and Fresh Tears for 3 months early 2010, nothing happened. From mid to late 2010 i've been only on Systane Ultra. Not much improvement. From early 2011 till July i've been on patanol s, optive ud and daily eye lid scrubs with blephagel, that helped a lot, yet, my eyes are far from normal.

My ophtalmologist asked me to quit patanol and keep only blephagel and optive ud. But last week I decided to give a try going cold turkey on optive ud, because they kinda made my eyes dry after instiling in. It's only been a week but whoa, i can tell that my eyes dont get so dry as they used to.
Whenever I went to the mall, i would have to squint because of the a/c, and my eyes would burn. Yesterday went again to the mall, and didnt even feel any pain, nor dryness, but i must admit i didnt have the guts to check in the mirror to see if my eyes were irritated. But at least they werent in pain.

Has anyone who had DES induced after once using contacts, had their eyes back to normal?

thank you