Contact Lenses and Irritation

The users of contact lenses generally face irritation in eyes at some point of time for various reasons which could arise from allergy, poor quality of lens or any other problem. Here we will discuss the common problems related with the use of contact lenses and some tips which can help in reducing the discomfort in eyes during the use of lenses.

Common reasons of contact lens related discomforts

Eyes are most sensitive organs of the body and it immediately react to any kind of foreign material by showing symptoms like itching, redness and irritation. Major symptoms include immense headache and blurriness of vision. If you are new user of contact lenses then here are some symptoms which you are more likely to encounter:

• Stinging sensation, itching or irritation in eyes
• Slight discomfort when lenses are placed over eyes for the first time
• Foreign body feeling in eyes
• Excessive watering of eyes
• More eye secretion
• Poor visual acuity or reduced sharpness of vision
• Blurred vision or halos around the light sources
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Dryness in eyes

If you feel any of the above mentioned symptoms when you use contact lenses then you must consult your eye doctor immediately. Some of the common causes of discomfort due to contact lenses are:

Poor fit

The contact lenses should be more customized according to your requirements. Make sure that your eye care provider gives you lenses which are well fitting to your eyes so that it doesn’t strain your eyes or cause any damage. If you get lenses which doesn’t fit your eyes properly then you may experience redness, irritation or itching. Go to your eye care provider and ask for a proper fit lens otherwise long use of faulty lens can cause surface abrasion to cornea.

Dry eyes

Prolonged use of contact lenses can cause dryness in eyes which can make your eyes tired and also cause headache or irritation. To overcome such problem, you can use lubricating and rewetting solution. You should moisturize your soft contact lenses to soothe your eyes and reduces dryness in the eyes but it is very important to select the drop compatible to your contact lenses.

Allergens

Dust or dander like allergens can stick to the surface of the lenses and cause irritation, redness and dryness. Proper cleaning of lenses is very important to remove any kind of build up on the lenses and if the problem persists then you can use the fresh pair of disposable lenses. If your allergy is seasonal then you should wait for 15 – 20 minutes after using the prescribed eye drops if the drops are not compatible with your lenses.

Sometimes, contact lenses are not the cause of discomfort in eyes because there are some undiagnosed underlying conditions. If the irritation or redness persists in your eyes then you should immediately consult your eye care provider to get the cause diagnosed and treated. You should not use contact lenses when you are on treatment or using topical eye drops.

Tips to reduce irritation and discomfort during use of contact lenses

Clean it properly – To reduce the irritation from contact lenses, you should remove it from your eyes and rinse it off. Keep it in its case for overnight, this will rewet the lenses and remove any foreign particles which might be causing the irritation.

Avoid prolonged use – Using contact lenses for several hours can cause dryness in eyes therefore you should also use your glasses in between to give some relief to your eyes.

Cold compress – It is more effective in case of irritation caused from allergic reactions. People who have outdoor work have high chances of such reactions and this method can really help in reducing the irritation.

Eye drops – There are two types of drops for eyes, one is for rewetting and another is for lubrication. The re-wetting drops flush the eyes and provide temporary relief from irritation and moisturize the dry eyes. On the other hand, lubricating eye drops are recommended for providing long term lubrication to your eyes. These drops have an oily or viscous liquid base and very helpful in case of chronic dry eyes. Some patients are sensitive to the preservatives used in these eye drops therefore if you feel increase in irritation after using the drops then you should discontinue it immediately and talk to your doctor for a medicine replacement.

Disposable lenses – If you have not changed your lenses from a long time then it can increase the risk of infection, irritation or dry eyes. One solution of this problem is that you can use daily disposable lenses instead of monthly replacements. The cost of disposable lenses has reduced significantly in recent years means you can easily afford it.

Now you know that with little care and precaution, you can avoid or reduce the contact lens generated irritation but if the problem still persists and you don’t want to use glasses then you can also consider Lasik as a permanent solution. Talk to your doctor about Lasik treatment or other vision correction surgery and go for it for a better vision.