Why do I have dry eyes? Dry eye syndrome is caused by an insufficient quantity of tears being produced by the eye or an imbalance in the composition of the tears that the eye is producing. It is estimated that approximately 10 million people in the United States experience this condition at some time in their life.

Can contact lenses cause dry eyes?

In a word, yes. There are three different ways that contact lenses may cause dry eyes.

* Soft contact lenses have a water content of between thirty and seventy five percent. When the air that the contact lens is exposed to becomes dry, it causes the lens to dehydrate. The lens then attempts to rehydrate itself by drawing moisture from the eye. This then dries out the eye, causing dry eye syndrome.

* Long-term contact lens wearers may have a different reason for dry eye. The prolonged rubbing of the lens across the eye's surface will gradually wear away at the surface of the eye and the fine structures that protect the cornea. As these minute hair-like structures wear away irritation occurs and the eye becomes dry.

* Rigid gas permeable lenses react much the same as the dry eye syndrome discussed above. The material that these lenses are made of is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. This will eventually lead to dry eyes. The rigid nature of the lenses leads to greater surface chaffing and this in turn makes the condition worse.

Treatment for Dry Eyes

Most people who suffer from wear contact lenses and have dry eyes will benefit from one of the following treatment options:

* Keep yourself hydrated. Don't wait to drink water till you get thirsty. You are likely to get thirsty a after being dehydrated for a while. So, drink water at regular intervals throughout the day. Also, drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.

* Minimize your time in hot or windy environments. These conditions are likely the symptoms.

* Wash your eyes. Often times, when you put your contact lenses in the morning, you don't take them out till you sleep at night. This prolonged wear should be avoided. Take out contact lenses on a regular basis and wash your eyes.

* Artificial tears/Eye drops. One other way is to use artificial tears or eye drops that simulate the lubricating and hydrating action of natural tears.

* Temporarily or permanently implanting punctual plugs that prevent tears from draining from the eye. A doctor or eye care specialist implants these.