Running with contact lenses.

Contact lenses can cause misery for runners. When you arrive back home from your run, your post-exercise bliss may be blasted by dry, sore, red, miserable eyes. There are several types of soft contact lenses on the market to accommodate different tastes, and solve a variety of problems. There are thick lenses, thin lenses, high water content, low water content, and, of course, colored and multi-colored lenses.

Research confirms that the thicker the lens, the more stable the water content and the less dehydration your eye will suffer. While lenses with higher water content have been shown to be subjectively more comfortable and can be worn for extended periods of time, they are more prone to dryness. Contact lenses with a low water content dehydrate less on the eye than do lenses with a high water content. So, for maximum comfort while running, a soft, low water content, thicker lens is likely to provide the most comfort with minimum dehydration. A good pair of sunglasses also reduces drying due to environmental exposure.

When you see your eye care professional, let her know you're a runner and need lenses that will be comfortable while running. You may want to take advantage of the different kinds of lenses available for different circumstances--low water content, thick lenses for running, and higher water content lenses for longer, more comfortable wear at work.

(Gary M. Poteet, M.S., O.D., is an optometrist in Laramie, Wyoming. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and serves ar the optometrist for University of Wyoming athletes)