“Why do my eyes hurt after wearing contacts?” If you have recently begun to use the contacts or if you have been using contact lenses for too long, then you may be among those who ask this question. Whether a beginner or a user for too long, if contact lens is not used properly it may lead to eye discomfort. Contact lenses when not taken proper care of act as a source of infection or acts as an irritant that can harm the eyes. Using contact lenses has both benefits and risks and sometimes those risks can be severe enough to cause blindness. Hence, it is important to understand the complications of contact lenses so that we can intervene before any irreversible damage occurs.
In this article, we’ll put light on some of the causes of eye pain and irritation after wearing contacts, how do these causes present themselves, what can you do to prevent these complications and how can you continue using contacts safely and securely!
what you will read next :
Introduction
Contact lenses have been used for the management of refractory eye disorders that cannot be treated utilizing regular spectacles such as aphakia or keratoconus. They are also widely accepted and used alternatives for spectacles. As contact lenses apart from improvising vision, provide the user with a more natural look, their use is constantly increasing.
The quality of life has improved since the invention of contact lenses. Nowadays, contact lenses are not only used for managing refractory errors but also as cosmetic accessories. Contact lenses however also have some risks associated with their use.
These symptoms might be completely normal!
Contact lenses help live a better, confident and comfortable life if used properly. If you are a first time user of contact lens, make sure
- that the size of the lens you want to use is accurate for your eye
- lens is clean and disinfected properly
- your hands are clean and sanitized
Contact lens floats in the tear film covering the cornea. So, after wearing the lens it is normal to experience the below-mentioned symptoms:
- the lens may not set into its place and wander unless it conforms to the shape of your eye. This may take few blinks to adjust
- contact lens is a foreign body and when you initially start to wear it, it causes tearing until the eye gets used to it.
- prolonged use on the other hand cause dry eyes leaving eyes red and irritated.
- beginners before their eyes adjust to the contact lens, may feel a constant urge to rub their eyes which can damage the contact lens. A damaged contact lens will not fit properly and will lead to foreign body sensation making eyes itchy and red.
These symptoms are not serious if you have just started to wear contact lenses. A little bit of practice and proper knowledge of how to use the lens can help one to overcome these symptoms.
When contact lens begins to hurt
No matter whether you are a beginner or have been using contact lenses for long if using contact lenses causes discomfort in the eyes in any of the following ways, suspect something is wrong. Remove the contacts and visit a doctor if needed.
Abnormal symptoms on wearing contacts include:
- stinging, burning or itching sensation and pain
- excessive tearing and redness of eyes
- blurred vision
- constant foreign body sensation or feeling that there is sand in your eyes
- progressing discomfort in eyes after wearing the contacts.
In presence of any of these symptoms, remove your contact lens with clean hands. Cleaning and disinfecting your contact lens before you apply it back again can help resolve these complications. If symptoms persist despite removal of the lens, visit an ophthalmologist as this may suggest corneal injury. The cornea is the outermost dome-shaped, transparent protective layer of the eye that covers the pupil, iris and anterior chamber of eyes. It is a highly sensitive layer and even a minute abrasion in its membrane can be painful and annoying.
How do contact lenses cause eye pain?
Nowadays, with developing technologies complications of contact lenses have been reduced to a greater extent. Still, due to user in compliance, contact lenses can lead to severe eye complications such as corneal ulcers, scars and eventually blindness.
The use of contact lenses can make eyes prone to infection and other eye-related disorders by inducing hypoxia or by causing microtraumas. Contaminated contact lenses or contaminated hands while putting on the lenses can lead to direct inoculation of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites into the eyes resulting in severe eye infections especially keratitis or inflammation of the cornea.
Your eyes may not be able to adjust to the contact lens if you’re sensitive to the material used in the lens or if the lens blocks oxygen transmission across it creating a hypoxic condition or if the size and shape of the lens is not the same as the natural shape and size of your eyes not allowing the lens to fit properly.
Also, if you have an eye condition such as dry eyes syndrome, meibomian gland dysfunction or blepharitis, you should not use a contact lens unless these conditions are properly managed. These eye disorders prevent eyes from adjusting and getting used to contact lenses. Contact lens use in presence of these conditions can worsen the symptoms associated with these conditions.
Complications associated with contact lens use
Some of the common causes of eye pain after wearing contacts are as follows,
- Contact lens discomfort or CLD
It is a very common condition seen in around 23 to 94 per cent of contact lens users. CLD occurs during the initial period of adaptation such as the removal of contact lens resolves this discomfort. The discomfort may manifest in the form of itching or stinging sensation, redness, excess tearing, a sensation of foreign body in the eyes, redness or even blurry vision.
CLD occurs as a result of incompatibility between the ocular environment and the contact lens. Various factors can contribute to this incompatibility. These factors can be related to either the contact lens such as the material of lens, design and fit of lens, wearing schedule of lens and care system of the lens or it can be related to the eye itself such as eye surface conditions whether it is suitable to hold the lens or not, external environments such as wind and temperature that increase the evaporation of tears and thus increase the chances of dry eyes making condition inappropriate for contact lens use or occupational factors such as working long hours on computers can reduce the blinking rate, making eyes prone to dry eyes. Tear film covering the surface of the eyes is necessary to hold the contact lens in place and also prevent it from coming in direct contact with the cornea this preventing mechanical friction and damage to the corneal surface. And thus, any condition that causes the tear film to reduce, increase the complications associated with lens use.
To manage CLD, any underlying eye condition such as blepharitis or dry eyes syndrome must be treated before the use of a contact lens. Use disposable daily wear lens or use hydrogen peroxide-based care system for cleaning your contacts. Also, make sure to lubricate your eyes. Contact lenses should be frequently replaced and not used for too long to avoid infections and other complications.
- Corneal neovascularization
Long term use of contact lenses, especially extended wear lens can cause corneal neovascularization. Neovascularization means the formation of new blood vessels in a place they are not normally found.
Some contact lenses such as soft contact lens, do not allow oxygen transmission across them creating a hypoxic state behind the lens. As a result, new vessels begin to develop abnormally to overcome this low oxygen or hypoxic state.
Corneal neovascularization can cause pain, redness around the cornea, photophobia, blurry vision after wearing the contacts and intolerance to contact lenses after wearing them even for a short duration.
To prevent this condition, you can use more oxygen permeable contact lenses such as rigid gas permeable (RGP) or polymethyl methacrylate lenses instead of soft contact lenses, change the wearing schedule of your contacts from extended wear to daily wear.
In case of the presence of active neovascularization, contact lens use should be discontinued. Also, visit the doctor as you might even need medications to stop the formation of these abnormal vessels.
- Contact lens-related peripheral ulcer or CLPU
It is responsible for moderate discomfort in the eyes after wearing contact lenses. CLPU manifests as a foreign body sensation, redness and photophobia or sensitivity to light. These symptoms reduce when the contact lens is removed
Lesion associated with CLPU is always round or slightly oval in shape, white in colour and located at the periphery of the cornea.
CLPU is commonly found in people who sleep with their contacts still in their eyes.
Contact lens-related peripheral ulcer is a benign condition and progresses spontaneously after discontinuation of contact lens use.
- Contact lens-related keratitis
As mentioned before as well, contact lens use can make your eyes prone to infection by inducing hypoxia, causing microtrauma and by direct inoculation of the pathogen when a contaminated lens is used. Infectious keratitis such as Acanthamoeba keratitis or fungal keratitis can cause severe damage to vision if not diagnosed and treated properly. Contact lens use is the main risk factor of these two vision damaging forms of keratitis.
Acanthamoeba is a parasite that usually sticks to a contact lens when it is being washed under tap water. Therefore, using tap water for cleaning contact lenses is not recommended.
Keratitis presents as redness, itching, turbid cornea, excessive tearing, sensitivity to light or photophobia, eye pain, reduced tolerance to contact lenses and even discharge from the eyes.
Poor compliance with lens care is the major risk factor for keratitis. Contact lenses and lens cases must be properly cleaned by appropriate cleaning solutions such as hydrogen peroxide, with rubbing motions. Also, replace your lens case every six months.
Before wearing contacts, make sure your hands are clean and make sure the lenses are clean as well. Also, avoid any trauma to the corneal surface when wearing a lens.
For treatment, keratitis is not something you can treat using home remedies. When suspected, make sure you visit the doctor as any delay in diagnoses and treatment will lead to deeper infections that have the potential to compromise vision.
- Contact lens-induced papillary conjunctivitis or giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC)
Common complaints associated with this condition include itchy eyes, blurry vision due to excess mucus production in the eyes, intolerance towards contact lenses, feeling that the contacts are moving up towards the eye globe, swollen eyelids and gritty sensation in eyes even after removal of lenses.
The actual cause of GPC is unknown but it seems it occurs as a result of allergy to contact lenses or the chemicals used for cleaning the lenses. GPC is common in people who have been wearing contact lenses for a long period. Also, mechanical friction caused by a lens is believed to play an important role in its etiology.
For its early detection and management, doctors are advised to suspect this in every patient in each visit. This statement alone signifies the importance of the need of treating this condition as soon as possible.
Proper lens care and eye lubrication, are usually enough for managing mild cases.
How to take proper care of your lens?
Lens care is based on the type of contact lens used and therefore you should talk to your physician before changing your lens care pattern and ask for their advice.
Since, soft contact lens are most commonly used contacts, we will talk about few methods regarding cleaning and caring of these types of lenses.
The process of contact lens care involves cleaning, rinsing and disinfecting after which they’re ready to be used again.
Types of solutions used in these processes can be a saline solution which is used for rinsing and storing the contacts, hydrogen peroxide solution can be used in all the steps involved in lens care and even for storing the lenses but you should not directly wear the lens once you’ve disinfected it with hydrogen peroxide unless you neutralize the solution and the multipurpose solution which is used most frequently.
When you want to clean your contacts, put some multipurpose solution in your palm, place the lens in it and start to rub the lens with your fingers in this solution to remove any debris stuck on its surface. Rubbing is important to remove any eye produced build up on lens surface.
Rinse the lens properly with the same multipurpose solution or a saline solution. After rinsing, disinfect the lenses and store them away in a clean lens case filled with fresh storing solution (saline, hydrogen peroxide or multipurpose solution).
Using daily wear disposable contact lenses reduces the responsibility of cleaning the lenses and saves time. So if you think you’re too lazy to clean your lenses or if you’re scared that you might be doing it wrong, there’s always an option and you can opt for disposable lenses.
Contact lenses despite being very useful if not cared for properly can result in conditions that can reduce contact lens use as they may cause discomfort in the eyes. But proper knowledge of lens care and usage can reduce these complications effectively and you can continue to wear your lenses without any problem.