Medically Reviewed by: Edward C. Wade, M.D., F.A.C.S.

How to Relieve Contact Lens Intolerance

August 7, 2022 . 5 min read

Contact lens intolerance is a common condition that makes wearing contact lenses virtually impossible for many people. Contact lenses are an important tool for many people that need vision correction, but what do you do when contacts irritate your eyes, causing pain, and ironically, more vision problems?

The vision specialists at Eye Center of Texas are here to tell you about the causes of contact lens intolerance, and what you can do to relieve it.

Do I have contact lens intolerance?

Contact lens intolerance doesn’t just impact new contact lens wearers, in fact, it can appear in people who have been wearing contacts without discomfort for years.

Contact lens intolerance is an umbrella term used to describe any type of pain, irritation, or significant discomfort from using contact lenses. Some common contact lens intolerance symptoms include:

Dry, itchy eyes
Redness
Irritation and inflammation
Pain or discomfort when putting in contact lenses
Corneal abrasions or ulcers

These symptoms can range from mild and irritating to severe and debilitating. If you are struggling with maintaining eye and vision health, an ophthalmologist in Houston from Eye Center of Texas can put you on the right path to comfortable, healthy eyes and clearer vision.

Why do my eyes keep rejecting my contacts?

There are many reasons that your eyes might reject your contacts. Your eyes can develop an intolerance to contact lens fluid, bacteria from unclean contacts, or even the material of the lenses themselves. Some common causes of contact lens intolerance include:

Improper use, storage, or cleaning
Reaction to storing or cleaning solution
Allergies
Dry eyes
An improperly fitted lens

Improper use of contacts is a huge contributor to contact lens intolerance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a survey in which over 99% of contact wearers reported engaging in at least one risky contact lens-related behavior, such as keeping their contact lens cases for longer than recommended, sleeping in their contact lenses, or topping off solution in their case without emptying the old solution first.

This begs the question: if contacts are this difficult to use correctly, why use contact lenses at all if you don’t have to? Many imagine that getting corrective vision surgery is more of a hassle than wearing contacts, but the opposite is often true. The LASIK healing timeline is quite short, and the procedure can result in healthier eyes and clearer vision for years to come with little-to-no maintenance.

How do you relieve contact lens irritation?

For the majority of patients, contact lens irritation is a mild inconvenience that can be fixed with a little more attention to contact lens care, while for others it can be an insurmountable and frustrating obstacle. It might be as simple as putting in a few eye drops, while for others it might mean corrective vision surgery or just reverting back to glasses. If you are dealing with contact lens intolerance, you should start by asking yourself the following questions.

Q: How do you wear and care for your contacts?

As illustrated by the CDC’s report that effectively every contact lens wearer is not following recommendations, wear and care could be the solution. Before you take other steps to limit irritation, make sure that you are properly cleaning and disinfecting your contact lenses, and not wearing them for too long.

Q: Do you keep your eyes lubricated?

If your eyes are dry keep them lubricated using artificial tears or other preservative-free eye drops. Eye drops should not be a long-term solution, and are meant to only alleviate symptoms temporarily.

Q: Have you talked to your ophthalmologist about vision correction surgery?

The most effective way to eliminate pain and irritation from contact lens intolerance is to eliminate the need for contact lenses. Vision correction surgery, especially when working with some of the top eye surgeons in Houston, is often much more quick and safe than patients expect — and is much less hassle than having to wear and maintain contact lenses.

The surgeons at Eye Center of Texas offer a range of vision correction procedures, ranging from LASIK to PRK to Visian ICL. If you have questions about the distinction between all of these unique procedures, don’t worry, our ophthalmologists can tell you all about the differences between PRK vs ICL vs LASIK, and which procedure would be right for you.

LASIK has an over 95% success rate, so the overwhelming likelihood is that you will be able to say goodbye to your contacts after LASIK, and start living with better vision in a more comfortable manner.

Leave contact lens intolerance in the past with treatment solutions from Eye Center of Texas

If contact lens intolerance is causing you pain and discomfort, you can find solutions at Eye Center of Texas. Whether you need to be fitted for new contacts or need to explore vision correction procedures that will simplify your life, the trustworthy and experienced specialists at Eye Center of Texas are here to take care of you.

Call today at (713) 797-1010 or schedule an appointment online to start your journey to clearer, more comfortable vision.

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