Dry eye is caused by a problem with your tear film. It can make your eyes feel dry, scratchy, irritated and uncomfortable and can also make your eyes watery. Having keratoconus can make it more likely for you to develop dry eye. This is because it can be harder for your eyelids to spread your tears over the uneven cornea. Wearing contact lenses can also make it more likely for you to develop dry eye. Dry eye can make contact lenses uncomfortable, making it harder for you to wear them for long periods. There is no cure for dry eye, but treating it can make contact lens wear more comfortable. An optician or ophthalmologist would be able to diagnose dry eye and discuss what can be done to help. They can recommend treatments, such as artificial tear eye drops, which can help to make your eyes feel more comfortable. Your optician would also be able to try out different lenses with you to help you to find the best ones for you. More information about dry eye, including treatments, can be found here. Other types of contact lens If you find it too uncomfortable to wear RGP lenses for large amounts of time or, if keratoconus has worsened and RGPs no longer improve your sight, other types of lenses may help. Your optician should be able to discuss other contact lens options, which could include: Soft contact lenses specially designed for keratoconus . These may be helpful in early keratoconus. These are special, made-to-order soft lenses, which can sometimes be more comfortable than RGPs, so can be worn for longer periods. Piggybacking, which involves wearing a soft contact lens underneath the RGP lens to act as a cushion. This aims to make the harder RGP lens more comfortable to wear. Hybrid lenses, which have a RGP centre and soft outer ring, which helps to make them more comfortable. Although these
Dry eye is caused by a problem with your tear film. It can make your eyes feel dry, scratchy, irritated and uncomfortable and can also make your eyes watery. Having keratoconus can make it more likely for you to develop dry eye. This is because it can be harder for your eyelids to spread your tears over the uneven cornea. Wearing contact lenses can also make it more likely for you to develop dry eye. Dry eye can make contact lenses uncomfortable, making it harder for you to wear them for long periods. There is no cure for dry eye, but treating it can make contact lens wear more comfortable. An optician or ophthalmologist would be able to diagnose dry eye and discuss what can be done to help. They can recommend treatments, such as artificial tear eye drops, which can help to make your eyes feel more comfortable. Your optician would also be able to try out different lenses with you to help you to find the best ones for you. More information about dry eye, including treatments, can be found here. Other types of contact lens If you find it too uncomfortable to wear RGP lenses for large amounts of time or, if keratoconus has worsened and RGPs no longer improve your sight, other types of lenses may help. Your optician should be able to discuss other contact lens options, which could include: Soft contact lenses specially designed for keratoconus . These may be helpful in early keratoconus. These are special, made-to-order soft lenses, which can sometimes be more comfortable than RGPs, so can be worn for longer periods. Piggybacking, which involves wearing a soft contact lens underneath the RGP lens to act as a cushion. This aims to make the harder RGP lens more comfortable to wear. Hybrid lenses, which have a RGP centre and soft outer ring, which helps to make them more comfortable. Although these