Eye dryness/tiredness

[EdKeens]

Hello,
I've experienced dryness/tiredness on my eyes, in past six month. It's most critical during morning, in the evening it's barely there. Also, during any physical activity, dryness is gone. I've been using contact lenses for about 2 years now, everyday, 12+ hours a day, but since this feeling I'm taking them off every time I can. Can you tell me what's the cause of this, is it something serious?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Yes it does.

JCH MD

[EdKeens]

One more question...I'm going to leave contact for couple of weeks, If I put them on for like 3-4 hours, twice a week, does it negate a whole effect of not using them?

[EdKeens]

Thanks for your answers

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No, just the opposite. When you wear your contacts you induce anesthesia and reduced sensation in your cornea. After you take them out it takes some time, often hours, before feeling returns then the eye waters and hurts. This makes it seem that the contact lens makes it better when it can really be the cause.  And it need not feel dry all the time.

JCH MD

[EdKeens]

If it was caused by contact lenses, wouldn't it feel dry all the time I'm using them? Because it doesn't. I don't feel nothing in the evening, while wearing contacts for example.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No I cannot tel you the cause with any accuracy.

Suggest you leave the contacts out for a couple of weeks at least. If your eye feels normal at the end of that time then the contacts are the likely cause and you will need to be refit or go to glasses or refractive surgery like LASIK.

If you are not better then the problem could be dry eye-tears dysfunction syndrome; blepharitis; thyroid eye disease; acne roseacea, or other problem.

Suggest you see an Eye MD ophthalmologist to work through the different possible causes.

JCH MD