THE BEST CONTACT LENSES FOR DRY EYES ARE SOFT CONTACT LENSES, AS OPPOSED TO RIGID ONES. SOFT CONTACTS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES AND MADE OF SPECIAL POLYMERS, OR PLASTICS, THAT ACTUALLY ALLOW THE LENSES THEMSELVES TO HOLD WATER. THESE SOFT POLYMERS ALSO ARE PERMEABLE, ALLOWING OXYGEN TO PASS THROUGH, QUITE LITERALLY LETTING YOUR EYES BREATHE. THE CORNEA HAS TO RECEIVE OXYGEN THROUGH THE AIR, AS IT HAS NO BLOOD VESSELS OF ITS OWN. CONSEQUENTLY, OXYGEN PERMEABILITY IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF CONTACT LENSES, ESPECIALLY CONTACT LENSES FOR DRY EYES.

THE WATER CONTENT OF A SOFT CONTACT LENS CAN VARY GREATLY, FROM 38% WATER TO OVER 70% WATER, SO CONSULT WITH YOUR EYE DOCTOR TO BE SURE YOU’RE USING THE CONTACTS THAT ARE BEST FOR YOU. COUNTERINTUITIVELY, SOFT CONTACTS WITH A HIGHER “WETNESS” LEVEL, THOUGH COMFORTABLE, MAY WORSEN YOUR DRY EYE SYMPTOMS. CONTACTS DESIGNED TO HOLD 65% WATER, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL WICK AWAY MOISTURE FROM WHATEVER ENVIRONMENT THEY ARE IN—IN THIS CASE, YOUR ALREADY-DRY EYES—TO MAINTAIN THAT 65% LEVEL OF MOISTURE. WHILE THE LENSES WILL BE NICE AND MOIST, THIS WILL LEAVE YOUR EYES DRIER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE. A SOFT CONTACT WITH A LOW WATER CONTENT LEVEL OF ABOUT 38% WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ALLOW YOUR EYES TO BREATHE WITHOUT DRYING THEM OUT.