#178: Scleral Lenses for Dry Eye Relief

Have you heard about using scleral contact lenses when you have dry eye disease? They're a great idea for dry eye sufferers. Let's review three reasons why scleral lenses work well for patients who have dry eye disease.

#1) The Shape of a Scleral Lens

Scleral lenses are a little larger than a soft contact lens. The lens goes over your eye from the white part of the eye, sclera, to the other side just like a soft contact lens would. But, the difference with a scleral contact lens is its rigid material. 

The rigid material gives the lens a fish bowl shape that vaults over the front of your eye. You fill the lens with sterile saline solution. Then when you put it on your eye, the saline bathes your eye in moisture all day long.

The lenses work really well to keep your eyes lubricated and feeling great. And of course, that saline is preservative-free.

#2) The Lenses are Custom Designed

This lens can be designed in all different powers. No matter what your prescription is for your glasses, these contact lens can be designed to help you see better. These lenses work best for patients who have:

• dry eye disease
• a disease on the front surface of your eye, like Keratoconus
• had corneal surgeries, like Radial Keratotomy or a corneal transplant

This is the lens of choice because it can help correct the irregularities on the front surface of your eye. And, it fits many prescriptions.

#3) Can be Used with Prescription Dry Eye Medications.

You don't have to choose between scleral contact lenses and prescription medications.  They can both be used to treat your dry eye disease. 

Many dry eye prescription medications are dosed twice a day. For best results, use the drop before you insert your contact lenses. Then, use the second drop in in the evening when you take your scleral lenses out. In this case, you wouldn't have to worry about removing your scleral lenses in the middle of the day. You just use your prescription medications before and after insertion.

If you do need to use prescription medication in the middle of the day, you can only use it if it is preservative-free.  Preservatives can get trapped under the scleral lens and sit on the front surface of the eye for hours. This would not be a good idea for any eye much less a dry eye. 

You can also use preservative-free artificial tears throughout the day with scleral lenses on.  However, most patients feel the need to use artificial tears is less while wearing scleral lenses because the front surface of their eyes are covered in saline.

CONCLUSION:

Scleral lenses are a great idea for patients who have dry eye disease. They bathe the front surface of the eye in sterile non-preserved saline solution all day long. Your eye will feel more moist. Scleral lenses can correct many different vision problems. And, they are the best choice if you have an irregular cornea due to a disease, injury, or prior corneal surgery. Finally, scleral lenses are great to be used in combination with your prescription dry eye medications. You don't have to choose one over the other.

If you need help finding the best artificial tear to support your dry eye treatment, download the Ultimate Guide to Artificial Tears here.