“Why are my eyes sore after contacts?”
Every night when I take my contacts out, my eyes are sore and red. Should I try different contacts? Why is this happening?
16 Answers
You should definitely see your eye doctor to figure out if a different lens would be more appropriate. Contact lenses should not cause your eyes to be red and sore if they are fitting well and if your eyes are healthy.
You need to see your optometrist, they may not be the right contacts for you. You should try disposables, or more breathable contacts and remove them earlier.
Morgan Graves
Optometrist
I would recommend a daily contact lenses or a different brand of contacts, since what is probably occurring is dryness.
Hi,
It could be due to a number of things. You could be allergic to the contact lens material, or to the deposits secreted from your eyes that adhere to the contacts, or the solution you are using. Also, if you are over wearing your contacts or not replacing them at the suggested intervals could cause this. It is best that you go to an optometrist to get your eyes examined so we can find the underlying issues and address them.
Thank you,
Tiffanny Lai, O.D.
It could be due to a number of things. You could be allergic to the contact lens material, or to the deposits secreted from your eyes that adhere to the contacts, or the solution you are using. Also, if you are over wearing your contacts or not replacing them at the suggested intervals could cause this. It is best that you go to an optometrist to get your eyes examined so we can find the underlying issues and address them.
Thank you,
Tiffanny Lai, O.D.
It's best if you visit your Eye Doctor
This could be due to your lenses not fitting correctly or it could be from the prescription needing to be modified.
Vipul Jyoti
Optometrist
Hi, thanks for the query. Yes, it does sound like you may have to give different contacts a go. If you're on monthly/weekly/night and day lenses, I would strongly suggest daily lenses. Do have your eyes looked at prior to making any changes though.
Try a new brand and reduce wear time to 12 hrs. Stick to dr regimen don’t extend cl wear more than recommended to save money. It is a polymer and should be removed every nite.
Your eyes are probably drying out under the contacts which act like bandaids, masking the symptoms of dry eyes. Once you pull off the contact (and probably part of the top layer of cells of the corneas), you are exposing the nerve endings that were covered by the contact and they will start firing like crazy, leading to an uncomfortable, red eye. If you are having sore, red eyes after removing contacts, you should:
#1 put drops in throughout the day over the top of the contacts (start at 4x/day and go up or down from there and make sure that the drops say that they are approved for contacts), #2 put a drop in about 1 minute before taking out your lenses to float them and make sure they are not sticking to the front of the eye, #3 reduce wearing time or take a break from the contacts in the middle of the day and let them soak in solution, #4 if the above instructions don’t stop your symptoms: see your eye doctor and have them check for Keratitis, GPC, corneal infiltrates, and mechanical rubbing of the contact lenses on the eyes. You may need to be switched to daily disposable contacts or need medicated eye drops.
Keep in mind, if your eyes are sore or red, NEVER put a contact lens on them...you are inviting problems.
#1 put drops in throughout the day over the top of the contacts (start at 4x/day and go up or down from there and make sure that the drops say that they are approved for contacts), #2 put a drop in about 1 minute before taking out your lenses to float them and make sure they are not sticking to the front of the eye, #3 reduce wearing time or take a break from the contacts in the middle of the day and let them soak in solution, #4 if the above instructions don’t stop your symptoms: see your eye doctor and have them check for Keratitis, GPC, corneal infiltrates, and mechanical rubbing of the contact lenses on the eyes. You may need to be switched to daily disposable contacts or need medicated eye drops.
Keep in mind, if your eyes are sore or red, NEVER put a contact lens on them...you are inviting problems.
It depends on the amount of time you're currently wearing your contact lenses, but It seems like you are over-wearing your current contact lenses. You may need to reduce the amount of daily wearing time for your contacts, or in some cases, you may need to try a different wearing schedule and/or brand of contacts. If your eyes get really dry throughout the day due to the contacts, you may need to switch to a daily disposable soft contact lens. Since there are many different brands of daily disposable soft contacts, your eye care professional will be your best bet to properly evaluate the suitability of your current contacts vs a different, but better type of contact lens for you.
It could be a number of reasons. Some people overuse their contacts, wear them for longer than they should (long hours during the day >12-14 or wear the same lens for a few months when they should be changed after 1 month). It could also be a lack of producing quality tears so the eye surface is too dry. It could also be the contact lenses themselves. Some contacts are more comfortable than others. It a perfect world all patients would use daily contact lenses.
Erin Lorraine McCleary
Optometrist
This could be a problem with 1) your contact lenses or 2) the surface of your eye.
I suspect that the fit of your contact lenses needs to be re-evaluated, potentially changed. Alternatively, if a person is having pain and redness in the eye upon contact lens removal, the cornea may be inflamed. This would require stopping contact lens wear for a designated period of time and potentially using a medicated eye drop.
Please follow up with your eye care provider before there is permanent injury to your eye!
I suspect that the fit of your contact lenses needs to be re-evaluated, potentially changed. Alternatively, if a person is having pain and redness in the eye upon contact lens removal, the cornea may be inflamed. This would require stopping contact lens wear for a designated period of time and potentially using a medicated eye drop.
Please follow up with your eye care provider before there is permanent injury to your eye!
You should definitely be evaluated by your optometrist to see if the contact lenses are tightening at the end of the day, or if you are suffering from dry eye which can affect comfortable contact lens wear. Any time your eyes are red with contact lenses, you should stop wearing them and see your eye doctor immediately.
This could be due to over wearing contact lenses . 10-12 hrs is what I recommend , then take them out and let your eyes breath on their own ! Your eyes could be dry so try a different brand which has lens water pockets in the material , use blink for contact lenses PRN OU. You could also have ocular allergies for which you can use zaditor as needed but after you take out your contacts
Typically, that means that your eyes are getting dry and/or there is not enough oxygen getting to your cornea. You can try to use artificial tears to lubricate your eyes, try to reduce your contact lens wear time or try another contact lens brand with a different material and one that allows more oxygen permeability.
There are different reasons why you are feeling this way after removing your lenses. Some of the more common reasons are dry eyes, a tight fitting lens, inflammation from overwearing your lenses, or material that doesn't agree with you. All these things can be evaluated by an eye care professional. I would schedule a comprehensive eye exam to rule out a poor fitting lens, dry eyes, eye infections or inflammation.
