Wearing contact lenses is a great choice for those who prefer a more natural look. There are several reasons why individuals prefer contacts over eyeglasses. Not only do they not interfere with your look, they are highly versatile and can be used during sports activities and don't obstruct your peripheral vision like eyeglasses do.
If you experience irritation after wearing contact lenses, there are some easy ways to fix it. If the irritation is due to a more serious issue, we recommend going to see an eye care professional. Read ahead to find out the common causes and treatments for eye irritation while wearing contact lenses.
Causes and Treatments for Eye Irritation after Wearing Contacts
1. Wearing Old Contact Lenses
There are several reasons why wearing old contacts is not a good idea. Even if your pack of lenses is unopened, avoid using lenses that are past the expiration date. We also recommend against using your contacts past the recommended schedule. If you have daily disposable lenses, avoid wearing them longer than a day and if you have weekly or monthly lenses, clean and store them in a lens solution overnight before re-wearing them. Read our blog post on how often you should replace your lenses to learn more about replacement schedules.
Solution / Treatment:
Switch to a new pair of lenses. The only solution to this problem is to get a new pair of contact lenses and stick to the wear schedule as much as possible.
Our Product Recommendation: Acuvue contact lenses
Acuvue is undoubtedly the most popular contact lens brand in the market. Their lenses are comfortable and provide lasting moisture, making them ideal for daily wear.
2. Buildup on the Contact Lenses
Since contact lenses are exposed to the outside world, they can harbor germs, dust, microorganisms and protein buildup from your own eyes over time. This can be harmful for your eyes and cause discomfort or eye infections.
Solution / Treatment:
Clean and disinfect your lenses. Regularly clean and disinfect your lenses using a high quality contact lens solution. After a day of wear, carefully remove your lenses from your eyes and scrub them clean with lens solution. Proceed to rinse and store them in the lens solution overnight. Learn how to use a contact lens solution here.
Our Product Recommendation: Opti Free Pure Moist Solution
The Opti-Free PureMoist Solution is a multi-purpose contact lens solution that disinfects your contact lenses and aids in removing dirt and debris. This solution is ideal for cleaning and storing your lenses.
3.Dry Eyes
Those who have dry eyes may find contact lenses to be irritating. While contact lenses do allow oxygen permeation and provide some amount of moisture, they can make dry eyes worse. You should restore the moisture in your eyes to avoid irritation and discomfort.
Solution / Treatment:
Use lubricating eye drops. You can alleviate the problem of dry eyes by using eye drops that lubricate the eyes and allow your contact lenses to glide on smoothly.
Our Product Recommendation: Systane Ultra Eye Drops
The Systane Ultra Eye Drops are ideal for providing comfort for irritated and dry eyes. Remove your contact lenses, place the eye drops in your eyes and wait at least 15 minutes before re-wearing your contacts.
4.Allergies
Allergies can cause significant discomfort and may arise due environmental allergens or due to a range of contact lens-specific factors including the lens material, the lens solution or even buildup on the lenses. If you are experiencing allergic reactions, remove your lenses and wear eyeglasses until the symptoms pass. If you are experiencing allergy symptoms due to lens buildup, we recommend that you clean your contacts more thoroughly using lens solution or switch to using daily disposable lenses that you can discard after each wear.
Solution / Treatment:
Daily disposable lenses are a convenient solution for those who suffer allergic reactions from buildup on their extended-wear contacts. Using daily lenses is a great option for those on the go and don’t have the time to properly clean or store their contacts.
Our Product Recommendation: Acuvue Moist Daily
We highly recommend the Acuvue Moist Daily contact lenses due to their high water content and oxygen permeability, making them an ideal choice for daily wear.
5. Ill-fitting Lenses
You might also experience eye irritation due to ill-fitting lenses. Contact lenses that don’t fit you properly, either due to shape or size can be damaging your eyes. Wearing contact lenses that don’t fit you can cause scratches on your cornea and can also affect your vision. Read our blog post on how to tell if your contact lenses fit you properly to identify ill-fitting lenses.
Solution / Treatment:
Visit your Optometrist for better fitting lenses. The only solution to this problem is to visit your Optometrist in order to get better fitting lenses in a different brand or a different diameter or base curve.
Our Product Recommendation: CooperVision Contact Lenses
CooperVision manufactures a wide range of contact lenses under a number of brands, targeting various eye conditions and vision needs.
6. Damage to the Eyes / Eye Infections
If you have any damage to your eyes like scratches or are dealing with eye infections, it is best to not wear contacts until your eyes heal completely. If you are dealing with these issues, contact your eye doctor immediately and focus on healing your eyes.
Solution / Treatment:
Wear eyeglasses until your eyes heal. Follow the recommended treatment plan and avoid wearing your contacts again until your doctor confirms that your eyes have completely healed.
Our Product Recommendation: Ray-Ban Eyeglasses
Ray-Ban is known for their high quality frames and sunglasses. While your eyes are recovering, we suggest that you wear eyeglasses to avoid causing further damage or irritation to your eyes.
When to See the Doctor
If you experience irritation for a prolonged period of time and it does not resolve even after resting your eyes, changing your lenses or using eye drops, it could be a more serious problem like an eye infection or a corneal abrasion. In this case, it is wise to see your eye care professional as soon as possible.
If you want to learn more about proper contact lens usage, read our helpful blog post on the do’s and don'ts of contact lens usage.