Signs You Should Take Your Lenses Out Now
If you wear lenses, some days your eyes feel a little uncomfortable. Most of the time, taking the lenses out and resting is enough.
But some symptoms should not wait. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains that wearing lenses puts you at risk of serious problems such as eye infections and corneal ulcers, that these can develop very quickly, and that in rare cases they can cause blindness.
That is why it matters to know the signs.
Remove your lenses at once if you have these symptoms
These are the symptoms of eye irritation or infection listed by the FDA.
- Discomfort
- Excess tearing or other discharge
- Unusual sensitivity to light
- Itching, burning or a gritty feeling
- Unusual redness
- Blurred vision
- Swelling
- Pain
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says the same. If your eyes are very red, painful, watery or sensitive to light, remove your lenses and call your eye doctor right away. Do the same if you have blurry vision or discharge such as ooze or pus.
Three that are easy to brush off
1. Discomfort that continues after removing the lens
It is easy to assume that taking the lens out will fix things. But if the symptoms on the FDA's list remain after the lens is out, that is all the more reason to contact an eye doctor.
2. Sudden glare
If indoor lights or screens that were fine before suddenly feel too bright, that is the "unusual sensitivity to light" the FDA describes. It is a symptom people often put down to tiredness.
3. Blurred vision
It is tempting to think the lens is just dirty, clean it and put it back in. But blurred vision is also on the FDA's list. The FDA's advice is not to put lenses back in while you have symptoms.
What to do after you take them out
The FDA's advice comes in three parts.
- Remove your lenses immediately and do not put them back in.
- Contact your eye care professional right away.
- Don't throw your lenses away. Store them in your case and take them to your eye care professional.
The third may come as a surprise. You may want to throw out a lens that bothered you right away, but the FDA advises putting it in the case and taking it to your eye care professional. Looking after the case is covered in The Dirtiest Thing Was Not the Lens. It Was the Case.
Don't mask it with redness relievers
Drops that make red eyes white make things look better. But the cause is still there. Why these drops do not suit lens wearers is explained in the previous article.
What to have ready
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends carrying backup glasses with your current prescription. If you have no glasses when you need to take your lenses out, it is easy to end up keeping the lenses in despite the discomfort.
Here are the basic habits the CDC recommends as well.
- Wash your hands with soap and dry them completely before touching lenses
- Don't sleep in lenses unless your eye care provider has approved overnight wear
- Remove lenses before swimming or showering
- Replace your lens case at least every three months
- See your eye care provider once a year, or as recommended
Why lenses must not touch water is covered in Why Can You Get Caught in the Rain but Not Shower in Contact Lenses?
In one line
If it hurts, is red, is glary, is blurry or has discharge: take the lenses out, don't throw them away, and contact an eye doctor.
References
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Contact Lens Risks
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), How to Take Care of Contact Lenses
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Preventing Eye Infections When Wearing Contacts
This article is general information and does not replace diagnosis or treatment. If something is wrong with your eye, see an eye care professional right away.