Occasionally people find that their contact lenses sting when they apply them to their eye. There’s usually a couple of reasons behind it, here’s a few simple tips to help you.
- Hygiene First! Ensure your hands a washed with a proper hand wash. Dry them with a clean towel (preferably lint-free).
- Lens Handling Avoid touching the inside surface fo the lens that will be in contact with the eye. Any foreign material attached to this side of the lens will be stuck under the lens and irritate your eyes.
- Inspect The Lens Check the lens surface and edges to make sure it all looks normal and clean. The reproducibility of lenses these days is amazing, it’s very unlikely that you’ll find anything wrong, but it’s a good habit – after all – it’s going into your eye!
- Rinse The Lens For most people it is not a problem to apply a lens fresh out of its packaging. However, a few people find it can sting their eye. If you’re using a lens disinfecting (storage) solution, be sure to rinse it off the lens. You can use saline to do this. Never use tap water as it can cause SERIOUS eye infections.
- Still Got Problems? If there’s still a problem, see your eye-care professional and don’t wear the lens! It’s also helpful to take the lens in to your appointment (put it in a case with storage solution) so that your Optometrist can take a look at it under the microscope.
