Late summer in Illinois can be difficult for people living with severe dry eye. Heat, air conditioning, outdoor allergens, wind, and long hours in front of screens may leave the eyes burning, gritty, watery, or sensitive to light. When artificial tears and standard contact lenses no longer provide enough comfort, scleral lenses may offer another option.
 

At Skowron Eye Care in Elmhurst, we fit specialty contact lenses for patients with challenging vision and ocular surface needs. Scleral lenses are designed differently from traditional contacts, allowing them to maintain a layer of moisture over the cornea throughout daily wear.
 

Why Late Summer Can Intensify Dry Eye

A healthy tear film keeps the front of the eye smooth, comfortable, and clear. Dry eye develops when the eyes do not produce enough tears, tears evaporate too quickly, or the tears do not work effectively.
 

Illinois residents may move repeatedly between warm outdoor temperatures and cool indoor environments during late summer. Air-conditioned rooms, direct airflow, extended computer use, and seasonal allergens can make existing symptoms more noticeable. For someone with moderate to severe dry eye, basic lubricating drops may provide only short-lived relief.
 

How Scleral Lenses Keep the Eyes Hydrated

Scleral lenses are larger than standard soft or rigid contact lenses. Instead of resting directly on the cornea, they vault over it and land on the white portion of the eye, called the sclera. Before insertion, the bowl of the lens is filled with preservative-free saline. This creates a fluid reservoir between the lens and cornea.
 

Skowron Eye Care notes that the saline remains behind the lens and keeps the eye moist throughout the day, making scleral lenses a useful option for very dry eyes. Research also supports the use of scleral lenses in managing dry eye disease and certain ocular surface disorders.
 

The smooth lens surface may also provide more stable vision when dryness or an irregular cornea causes clarity to fluctuate.
 

Signs Scleral Lenses May Be Worth Considering

An Elmhurst specialty contact lens evaluation may be appropriate when you experience:
 

• Persistent burning, stinging, grittiness, or redness
• Fluctuating vision that temporarily improves after blinking
• Light sensitivity or discomfort in wind and air conditioning
• Limited relief from artificial tears or prescription dry eye treatment
• Difficulty tolerating traditional soft or rigid contact lenses
• Dryness that interferes with reading, driving, work, or screen use

These symptoms do not automatically mean scleral lenses are the right treatment. A comprehensive evaluation is needed to examine the tear film, cornea, eyelids, prescription, and overall eye health.
 

What to Expect From a Custom Scleral Lens Fitting

Scleral lenses are custom medical devices rather than one-size-fits-all contacts. During the fitting process, the optometrist measures the cornea and surrounding eye surface. A diagnostic lens may be placed on the eye so the doctor can assess corneal clearance, alignment, comfort, movement, and visual clarity.
 

Follow-up visits are important because the lens must settle safely without pressing on sensitive tissue or creating excessive clearance. Patients also receive instructions for filling, inserting, removing, cleaning, and storing their lenses. Skowron Eye Care uses corneal topography and tear testing as part of its professional contact lens fitting process.
 

Scleral Lenses as Part of a Dry Eye Plan

Scleral lenses do not cure every cause of dry eye. They are often used as one part of a personalized management plan that may include artificial tears, prescription medications, eyelid care, punctal plugs, environmental changes, or other treatments. Skowron Eye Care provides several approaches for managing dry eye based on each patient’s symptoms and clinical findings.
 

For Elmhurst patients with severe dry eye, the goal is not simply to cover symptoms. It is to improve hydration, support the ocular surface, and provide clearer, more comfortable vision through Illinois’s demanding late-summer conditions.
 

Schedule a scleral lens evaluation with Skowron Eye Care at 370 N. York St., Elmhurst, IL 60126. Call (630) 834-6244 to book your appointment.