Why Does My Eye Hurt When I Wear Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses are great for people with blurry vision who prefer not to wear eyeglasses. But if you wear contact lenses for long periods at a time, you may notice that your eyes become sore and irritated. This can happen for a number of reasons, including how you care for your contacts and the type of lens material you use. 

Read on as a Lake Stevens, WA optometrist discusses some common causes of sore eyes when wearing contact lenses.

Factors That Can Cause Eye Pain

You’re not using the right contact lens solution

Some solutions are designed to be used only once and then disposed of, while others can be reused over and over again. If you’re not using the correct solution for your contacts, it could cause irritation in your eyes and make them water more than usual.

You need a better-fitting lens

If your eyes are irritated after wearing contacts for only a short time, consider switching brands or types of lenses (for instance, monthly disposables or even daily disposables). A different type of contact might help alleviate the irritation and reduce symptoms like a scratchy sensation or burning feeling in one’s eye(s).

Your contact lenses are dirty or damaged

If you are using the correct solution, it’s possible that your contacts have been damaged by other factors. Make sure you are using proper cleaning solutions for your contact lenses and that they are not expired.

You’re experiencing dry eye

Dry eye is a condition that causes the eyes to be more sensitive to foreign particles, irritants, and allergens.

It’s common for people to experience discomfort at some point while wearing contacts, but if your eye pain persists after wearing the lenses for a few days, you may have dry eye. 

Things to Consider

Most of the time, if you wear contact lenses daily and follow the recommended cleaning and replacement schedule, keeping your contacts clean and replacing them on a regular basis means no painful eyes. However, if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your eye doctor for an exam. 

With ongoing advancements in optical technology, there’s now a range of specialty contact lens options from which to choose, including:

• Scleral contact lenses, which work especially well for dry eyes sufferers 
• Toric lenses, which are specially designed for astigmatism
• Ortho-K lenses, also known as night contact lenses, temporarily correct for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and enable wearers to go without corrective eyewear during the day

If you have more questions or wish to schedule a consultation, please feel free to call your local Lake Stevens, WA optometrist anytime!