Have you ever gone to remove your contact lens, and it wasn’t there? Did you already remove it? Did it fall out already? Is it stuck? Don’t worry, the good news is that if the lens is still in your eye, it cannot disappear behind your eye as the conjunctiva forms a continuous barrier.
However, a lens can fold, shift beneath the eyelid, or cling tightly to the surface of the eye, making it difficult to find.
Here are some steps to help you get that lens out of your eye.
1. The first step is to stay calm. Before touching your eye, wash and dry your hands thoroughly. If the contact lens isn’t causing significant pain or discomfort, give yourself a break and take a deep breath. It also prevents further irritation to your eye from attempts to remove the contact lens.
2. Once your hands are clean, take a careful look for the lens. Sometimes it may be folded under your eyelid or sit on the white part of your eye. Generally, contact lenses have a light blue tint, which makes them easier to find. Begin by looking upward and gently pulling down the lower eyelid so you can inspect the lower portion of the eye. Then look down and gently lift the upper eyelid while blinking or moving your eyes side to side. These movements can help shift a hidden or folded lens back into view. It may help to have a friend or family member take a look for you to ensure the contact lens is still in your eye.
3. If the lens has dried out, it may stick to the eye. Try to loosen it by inserting a lubricating drop. This will also help lubricate your eye, which may feel a little gritty.
4. If the lens is still not visible, try closing your eye and gently massaging the upper eyelid in a downward motion. This can encourage a displaced lens to glide back toward the centre of the eye.
5. If you still can’t find the lens, give your eyes a break. Often, when we keep poking at our eyes, they become more irritated, red, and watery. This will make it harder to determine if the lens is still in your eye and remove it. Give your eye a break for a few minutes, do something else, and come back to it if it still feels like a lens is there.
6. It is very common to feel irritation and assume that the lens is still in the eye even when it has already fallen out or been removed without you noticing. Irritation can also result from dryness or rubbing. If your symptoms begin to improve after a few minutes, there is a good chance that no lens remains in the eye.
The Bottom Line
If you still cannot find the lens in your eye, you could pop into your local optometrist in Canberra. Similarly, suppose you experience any persistent redness, pain, discharge, light sensitivity, or reduced vision. In that case, it is essential to see your optometrist to ensure you are not developing sight-threatening conditions related to your contact lens wear.
Quite often, improperly fitting contact lenses can make insertion and removal difficult. Your optometrist in Canberra checks the fit of your contact lenses whenever we update your contact lens prescription. Here at Capital Eye, your optometrist in Canberra, we recommend reviewing your contact lens prescription at least once a year. If it has been a while since you last updated your contact lens prescription, book an appointment with us today!