Contact Lens Troubleshooting

Special effects contact lenses are a lot of fun. Cheap and stubborn people who resist going to an eye care professional may need some help in trouble-shooting FX contacts.

WARNING: I am not any kind of eye doctor. I'm just a long-time user passing along some things I have learned.

NOTE: This web page is oriented towards soft lenses using technology in the 1990s and early 2000s. Technology marches on and things may get better. Specifically, this page does not apply to any form of hard lenses.

Rule #1: If you can't figure out what is wrong, have any doubts, or if any problem persists, seek the help of an eye care professional.

Feels like something in your eye
Eyes sting
Eyes are red or irritated-looking
Eyes are dry
Eyes are crusty in the morning
Eyes are gooey in the morning
Vision cloudy in the morning
Bright sunlight hurts
Related Pages

Feels like something in your eye

If you are just starting to wear contacts, Duh! You are walking around with a bit of Saran Wrap in your eye, of course it feels like you have something in there! Try a drop or two of lubricant solution. Sometimes the first drop stings, but it should feel better soon. If not, you really might have something in there.

If you are accustomed to contacts and get a sensation of a foreign body (or just learning and the lubricant drops don't help) remove your contacts, clean them, and try again tomorrow. And check your eye for a loose lash or other debris.

Eyes sting

When my eyes start to sting, it generally means one of the following:

My eyes are dry.
I am getting tired and have stayed up too long.
I am developing an eye infection.

For me, stinging is not a sign that I have something in my eye. That feels different, with a rough kind of feeling.

Eyes are red or irritated-looking

When my eyes look red, bloodshot, or irritated-looking, it generally means one of the following:

My eyes are dry.
I am getting tired and have stayed up too long.
I am developing an eye infection.
I have something in my eye.
This is my fifth try at getting the contact in my eye, and it just isn't working.

Eyes are dry

Use lubricant solution. The Juice is your friend. Just don't get too addicted to it.

Eyes are crusty in the morning

Your eyes, in order to fight the irritation of contacts, have increased tear flow. Overnight, the water in the tears evaporates, leaving "sleepy sand" in unusual quantity.

Steps to take:

Close your eyes, and gently wipe any solids out of the corners.
With your eyes closed, wash your face with warm water; a little soap is optional.
Rinse face with warm water and gently dry.
If things aren't better, squirt saline solution in to wash out the muck.

With continued use of contacts, this reaction should decrease as the eyes become desensitized to the foreign body.

Eyes are gooey in the morning

Your eyes, in order to fight the irritation of contacts, have increased tear flow. Overnight, some of the water in the tears evaporates, leaving a mucous-like film in the eyes.

For steps to take, please see Crusty Morning.

Vision cloudy in the morning, blinking helps

Your eyes, in order to fight the irritation of contacts, have increased tear flow. Overnight, some of the water in the tears evaporates, leaving a mucous-like film in the eyes. This may make your vision smeary or cloudy. When you blink, it smears the stuff around, temporarily improving the situation.

For steps to take, please see Crusty Morning.

Bright sunlight hurts

You go outside, or into bright light, and it hurts your eyes.

This is called "photophobia", and is common - especially when getting accustomed to contact lenses.

Wear sunglasses.

You may be interested in these related pages:

Thank you for visiting. Your comments are welcome.
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