Can I Drink Alcoholic Beverages While Wearing Scleral Lenses?

Scleral lenses are fitted to patients with complicated prescriptions and irregular corneas. A common question I encountered is "Doc, is it safe to drink alcoholic beverages while I am wearing my scleral lenses?". Looking into the different papers on the effects of alcoholic beverages on the eye, alcohol, similar to coffee and smoking, can induce some ocular dryness.

Studies noted the presence of ethanol in tears of patients within 6 to 12 hours after drinking alcoholic beverages. The presence of ethanol in tears may cause increased evaporation rate, increased corneal staining, and decreased tear volume, leading to dry eyes.

Unlike in soft contact lenses, the material of scleral lenses does not undergo dehydration. However, scleral lens wearers may still feel some symptoms of dryness.

It is essential, though, to be sure to be still able to remove your lenses when you get home, clean and store them properly. We have one patient who was too drunk to clean his lenses and temporarily left them on a tissue. The next day, when he remembered, he cannot find them, later to find out that his wife thought the paper towel was just trash, so she threw them out. Another was too drunk to remember where he placed his lenses.

Like in anything, if you drink moderately, and occasionally, dry eyes can be temporary, but for heavy drinkers, that can be another story.

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