Chiropractic Healing Works

Dealing With Cloudy Contact Lenses

25 April 2017 by Charlie Berry

Have you been struggling to see clearly because your contacts are cloudy? This is actually a fairly common issue for contact lens wearers, and there are numerous reason why contact lens become cloudy. The good news is, it's fairly easy to diagnose the problem and correct it.

Buildup of Protein Deposits 

When protein deposits build up on the contact lens surface, it causes the lens to become cloudy. Your eyes naturally produce tears to flush out proteins, oils, and debris. However, when you wear contact lens, this process gets affected, and eventually, a thin layer of film forms on your contact lenses that blurs your vision. You can keep protein deposits from building up on your lenses by cleaning your contacts on a regular basis. Keep in mind, some brands of contact lens require daily cleaning, while others require weekly cleaning. You need to follow the instructions for the brand that you use.

Consistent Dry Eyes

If you have a problem with dry eyes, it's because the protein deposits, natural oils, and other contaminants aren't being flushed completely from your eyes. This often happens when people don't blink as often as they should, which is common for those who spend long hours working on computers. It's also common for people over 65 to have dry eyes, and people with thyroid problems, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes also commonly experience a decrease in tear production, making their eyes drier than normal. Additionally, hormonal conditions, menopause, and certain medications are known to cause people to have dry eyes. Unfortunately, the drier your contacts are, the blurrier they become. To prevent this:

• Stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water per day.
• Use artificial tears to keep your eyes lubricated throughout the day.
• Try to remind yourself to blink as much as possible any time you're watching TV, using the computer, or playing video games for an extended period of time.

Contact Lens Deterioration

Remember, your contact lenses aren't meant to be worn all the time. Eventually, the lens itself begins to deteriorate, which clouds your vision. Make sure you're replacing your contacts according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you are replacing your contact lenses correctly and are still having problems, consider switching to daily disposable contact lenses.

Cloudy contact lenses is a problem that many contact lens wearer deal with on a regular basis. Fortunately, the problem is fairly easy to manage. If you are staying hydrated, keeping your eyes wet, and replacing and cleaning your lenses as directed and you still have problems, talk to your eye doctor to find a solution.

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