Contact Lens Related Issues

Can I become allergic to contact lenses? Yes, a buildup of proteins and other allergens in lenses can cause allergic responses in the mucous membranes of your eye (conjunctiva) over time, leading to contact lens intolerance, meaning you may have to temporarily or permanently cease contact lens wear. Over a prolonged time this can lead to Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis. 

How to tell if a contact is inside out? The contact will not sit property and be a little more irritating. It may become loose or fall out, and vision may be suboptimal. If there is any doubt, it is best to remove and clean and replace the contact lens, as there is an increased risk of eye trauma and subsequent infection with an inside out contact lens. 

How do I remove a stuck contact lens? The best way is to irrigate your eye with sterile saline solution or a clean new bottle of artificial tears. The contact is usually stuck because it is dry. Trying to remove the contact without irrigation may cause the delicate transparent skin over the front of your eye, the epithelium, to rip away with the contact. This exposes the delicate nerve endings underneath, which may cause intense discomfort, or rarely long term recurrent erosion syndrome (RES) in which the skin does not heal securely back to your eye, repeatedly coming off with associated discomfort or pain. 

Why do contact lenses get blurry? This is usually because they are dry or not clean. Removing them for a good proper thorough cleaning according to the instructions or using a new lens is recommended. If this does not improve the situation, you should cease contact lens wear and see your prescribing optometrist as soon as possible, particularly if there is eye redness or discomfort associated with the blurred vision

Can you fix a ripped or torn contact lens? No, you cannot. All you can do is use a new one. Any attempt to use or repair a damaged contact lens may result in eye trauma and infection risking loss of sight. 

Is it okay that contact lenses irritate my eyes? No. Well-fitting, well prescribed contact lenses of the right type should be very comfortable. You should hardly be aware they are there. If you do have irritation, stinging, cloudy, or red eyes in your contacts, you should cease using them and see your prescribing optician or optometrist. 

Is it okay to order contact lenses online? Yes, as long as:

1. They are exactly as per the contacts prescribed by your optometrist in terms of brand, type, base curve, prescription
2. You still see your optician or optometrist regularly, at least every 6 months. Contact lens related complications can sneak up on you and cause irreversible eye damage resulting in permanent loss of vision or inability to enjoy the benefits of continued contact lens wear into the future. 
3. They are NOT cosmetic contact lenses. There are reports in scientific literature of significant loss of vision from use of cosmetic contact lenses ordered online for regular or even single night use for fancy dress or cosplay events. 

Complacency with long term contact lens wear. It is well documented that with longer term experience with contact lenses, the risk of contact lens related complications increases rather than decreases. This is because of well documented decreased compliance with safety instructions contact lens care and use. 

My lenses, containers, and solutions look clean and fine. Is it okay to keep using them past their expiry dates to save money and the hassle of obtaining new ones? Not at all. Whilst lenses, containers, solutions and bottles may look clean and fresh, expiry dates are there to protect the health and vision of your eyes. It is very easy for these to look good, but actually be highly contaminated with microorganisms that can, if used on or for your eyes, cause very significant if not catastrophic infections, risking significant permanent loss of sight. Always replace your bottles, containers, solutions and lenses regularly as per instructions on them or from your eye care provider. It is very easy to keep using them for much longer than you think you have. So, it is a good idea to diarise replacement in your phone calendar, and or think of doing it the first Saturday of every month or similar to protect your eyes and maintain your best vision.

Is wearing contact lenses a risk for retinal detachment? No, but the need for contact lenses may do so. If you are wearing contact lenses for longsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism or because otherwise you need reading glasses, you are unlikely to have risk factors for retinal detachment, family history or a retinal condition predisposing you to retinal detachment has been diagnosed. 

However, if you are wearing contact lenses because you are short-sighted or myopic, the myopia itself may be a risk factor for retinal detachment. This is especially true if:

1. You are less than 60 years old
2. You are male
3. Your eye has an axial length of > 27.0 mm
4. You have not had a posterior vitreal detachment – in which the vitreous jelly in the middle of your eye has not separated from the retina at the back of your eye. 

But the contact lenses themselves do not increase the risk of retinal detachment, unlike removal of the natural crystalline lens from behind the pupil and replacement with an intraocular lens implant (IOL) as is performed with cataract surgery or clear lens extraction / refractive lens exchange (CLE / RLE), where the risk of retinal detachment does increase proportional to the above risk factors.

Are contact lenses biodegradable or recyclable? Unfortunately, not, and the increase in worldwide uptake of contact lenses is a significant environmental burden. Contact lenses should not be disposed of down sinks or toilets as they then enter the wastewater and increase the harmful microplastics load present in oceans and other water ways.