7 Tips on Getting Used to Your Contact Lenses

125 million people worldwide chose to wear contact lenses for medical or cosmetic reasons. If this is your first time wearing contacts, here’s what you need to know about the adjustment period.
Eye care professionals suggest allowing 3 to 4 days for your eyes to adjust to your contact lenses. However, it may take up to 12 days for your eyes to adjust depending on the sensitivity of your eyes.
Irritation or feeling uncomfortable while wearing your contacts can be a sign that they need to be changed. But before you panic, you should be aware of the common side effects that you can expect during the adjustment period as well as the unusual side effects that may be causing harm to your eyes.

Expect Some of These Normal Side Effects

Placing a foreign object on your eye surface is what happens when you insert your contact lenses. Therefore, you may experience some temporary eye issues like those listed below:

Blurry Vision

This is a common issue for new lens wearers caused usually by dryness of the eye. To restore the moisture in your eyes, use a liquid like a contact lens solution that cleans, disinfects, moisturizes and rinses your contacts.
Do not drive or bike while experiencing blurry vision. If you have to travel, remove your contacts and use glasses instead to reduce the risk of an accident.

Excessive Blinking

While your eyes are adjusting to wearing contact lenses, it's normal to blink profusely or have watery eyes. This tends to stop after a couple of days of getting used to your lenses.
After several applications, you’ll be able to assess what feels like “normal blinking.” If you feel discomfort after inserting your contact lenses, remove them and re-wet them before trying again. This stops most mild discomfort.

Eye Fatigue

Your eyes might feel tired only after a short period of time. This isn't a very alarming side effect as your eyes are only adjusting to the lenses and should not feel fatigued once you have adjusted completely.
To prevent and treat eye fatigue, only wear your contacts for a couple of hours at a time to start, then work your way up to wearing your contact lenses all day.

Unusual Side Effects

It’s important that you pay particular attention to the following side effects since they can be a sign of an eye disease that needs the intervention of your doctor.

Eye Strain

Often marked by the following symptoms:

• A burning sensation
•  Double vision
•  Headache
•  Light sensitivity
•  Neck, back, and shoulder pain

Eye strain indicates an issue with the type of contact lenses or the length of wear. The water content or the durability is most likely not suitable for your eyes.

Infection

Irritation, discoloration, or vision disturbances can be caused by an eye infection. Contact lens wearers contract infections as the result of :

• Not washing, rinsing, and drying hands before handling contacts.
• Not storing contact lenses in a closed lens case right after removing them.
• Swimming or using a hot tub while wearing contact lenses.
• Overusing eye makeup while you adjust to new contact lenses.

Note: If you develop an eye infection stop using your contact lenses immediately and contact your eye care specialist for treatment. You should be prepared to tell him/her the following:

• The type of contact lenses being worn (soft or gas permeable). 
• What type of care regimen you use (cleaning, disinfecting, and rinsing solutions) this should include the specific name (manufacturer) of solutions.
• The type of wear regimen used: daily disposable, weekly overnight wear, or daily wear.
• How often the lenses are replaced (daily, weekly, monthly).
• When you last wore your lenses.
• Whether your vision is affected.

Prolong Discomfort

As we mentioned above, irritation is a common side effect; however, if the irritation continues for more than 12 days or increases suddenly, this means that the lenses are not suitable for your eye and it is best to contact your eye care specialist immediately.

Should You Be Concerned About the Adjustment Period?

The discomfort or vision issues while adjusting to your contact lenses are usually short-term. Most initial problems will disappear as you get used to wearing lenses.

7 Tips to Make Your Adjustment Period More Comfortable:

1. Use drops and contact lens solution to keep your eye moisturized.
2. Use soft lenses that are very comfortable and easier to adjust to.
3. Avoid eye makeup during the adjustment period.
4. Avoid swimming or using a hot tub while adjusting to your lenses.
5. Keep your contacts clean at all times.
6. Store your lenses according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
7. Follow the disposal date.

Read more about lens care tips your eye care professional would recommend.

Note: You should never wear unbranded lenses! Trust the experts who have put years into researching and testing to provide you with the safest lenses to use. We recommend Acuvue, a top-rated lens manufacturer with countless options.
With the knowledge of the common and unusual side effects during the adjustment period, you can evaluate yourself whether or not your eyes are adjusting properly. For any extreme discomfort, it is highly suggested to consult with your eye specialist.