How To Deal With Common Contact Lens Problems

Posted on: 12 April 2016

Being able to wear contacts instead of glasses can be a huge blessing.  It makes it easier to participate in sports, go camping and just function more easily in day-to-day life.  However, most contact lens wearers experience some sort of discomfort at some point when wearing contacts.  The following are common problems and some possible solutions.

Burning Eyes

If your eyes burn when you put in your contact lenses it could be because they are coming into contact with a harmful substance for your eyes.  If you are wearing lotion, perfume or have recently handled oils, your fingertip can transmit those substances onto the contact lens which will cause discomfort in your eye.  Be sure to thoroughly wash and dry your hands before putting in or removing contact lenses.

Dry Eyes

There are several reasons contact wearers experience dry eyes.  The first is diet.  People who consume a lot of alcohol or coffee may experience this sensation.  A change in diet can help this problem as can nutritional supplements that will improve the quality of your tears.  Over the counter medications have also been linked to dry eyes.  This is especially true in antihistamines and medicines that control blood pressure.  If you plan to take these medications temporarily, eye drops or choosing to wear glasses for the short-term may help the situation.  Otherwise, your doctor may recommend nutritional supplements.  Some people find that their contacts start out fine at the beginning of the day but become dry or bothersome sooner than they would like.  In this situation one solution might be to switch to a contact lens that has a lower water content than your current lens.  High water lenses can dehydrate the eye.  If dry eyes are only an occasional problem then eye drops may be a good solution.

Allergies  

If you notice that your lenses start to bother you when you are around pets or spending time outdoors, you may have eye allergies.  You will want to make sure that your lenses are getting cleaned properly which means that you may need to switch solutions.  If that doesn't work, then switching to a daily disposable lens might be the best option.   If any of these problems continues, or if your eyes become swollen and red, it is always a good idea to check with your eye doctor, such as Robert A. Marini, OD, to see if you have an eye infection.   If your contacts continue to cause any problems for an extended period of time, it is always a good idea to set up an appointment with your optometrist to rule out an eye infection or to see if a different brand of contact might be right for you.

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