Contact Lens Stuck in Eye? Causes and Remedies
If you are a contact lens wearer, or thinking about becoming one, this question has most likely crossed your mind at one point or another.
If you have asked yourself this question, you will be happy to learn that it is, in fact, impossible for this to occur.
Don’t believe it? The ContactsDirect team is here to explain why.
Fortunately, your eye protects this from happening due to the conjunctiva, which is the thin, moist lining that is on the eye’s inner surface. The conjunctiva folds back at the back of your eye, becoming the outer cover of the white part of your eyeball. In simpler words, the conjunctiva prevents anything from going behind the eye or from getting stuck behind the eye.
While you now know that it is not possible for your contact lens to get lost behind your eye, you may have still experienced the feeling of the lens being lost in your eye. You may feel this way after rubbing your eyes. When you rub your eyes, it is possible for the contact lens to loosen from your cornea. The lens is capable of getting stuck under your upper eyelid, but this does not mean that the lens is lost behind your eye.
If you experience this uncomfortable feeling, from rubbing your eyes or for another reason, there are steps that you can take to fix the issue. This feeling feels foreign and irritating, and you will most likely notice it quickly. One of the easiest ways to remove the lens from you eye is by using a few contact lens rewetting drops and then closing the eye and gently massaging it. Of course, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before putting them anywhere near your eyes. The lens will likely move to a place where you will be able to see it and safely remove it from your eye.
Another method that may help you remove the lens is simply looking in the opposite direction of the irritation. If the lens appears to be stuck on the right side, move your eye to the left side. This movement may assist in shifting the lens back to the appropriate position.
Is most cases, using the solution will successfully remove the lens, but sometimes this will not work. If that is the case, you may need to turn your eyelid inside out. While this may sound frightening, it is actually quite easy. You may want to enlist a family member or friend to help you with this. Place a Q-tip across the eyelashes and look downward, gently turn the eyelid inside out and tip your head backwards. Once your head is tipped, you should be able to find the lens and safely remove it.
If you continue to experience issues or do not feel comfortable removing the lens yourself, you may want to visit your eye doctor.
Even though the eye is one of the more delicate parts of your face, we are lucky that parts of the eye such as the conjunctiva work to protect your eyes from being harmed. You may have noticed that when an eyelash or dust gets into your eye, your eye begins to tear up to help wash it away.
While you may have experienced the irritating feeling of a problem with your contact lens, rest easy because you, a friend or your doctor will always be able to get it out.