Help, Lens Stuck In My Eye!

Remember you are not on your own. In fact, most contact lens wearers will at some point experience a stuck lens.  And the contact lens can’t actually go very far and so no permanent damage can occur.


Steps to remove the lens: 


Start by giving your hands a thorough wash and then try to identify the location of the lens in your eye, as the lens’ location will determine the best way to remove it.


If the contact lens is stuck on the center of your eye, the contact lens has probably dried out and lost its elasticity – perhaps because you slept or napped with them. In this case, put a few drops of sterile saline solution in your eye (you can also use a multipurpose contact lens solution (ReNu MultiPlus or Biomedics All-In-One or rewetting drops). Then close your eye and gently massage your upper lit until you feel the lens move.


If the lens is being stubborn, just repeat this rinsing step several times, blinking frequently after each rinse to help the lens move. It can often take several rinses and up to 15 minutes to rehydrate the lens and make it movable. Once the lens starts moving freely, remove it in the same way you normally would.


If your eye still feels irritated or dry after you’ve removed the lens, lubricate your eye with sterile saline or artificial tears. If this doesn’t help or you develop red eyes, you need to see your eye doctor immediately.


Alternatively, if your lens is stuck off center, try to move your eye in the exact opposite direction of where you think the lens is. For example, if you think your lens is stuck under your upper eyelid, look down. At the same time, gently massage your eyelid and blink normally to try to move the lens to the center of your eye. Once it’s at the center, repeat the steps mentioned above, rinsing with sterile saline, multipurpose solution or rewetting drops to loosen the lens and remove it.


If you find that the contact lens remains stuck far behind your eyelid, try wearing a new contact lens on the eye and blink normally. Often this can help “draw out” the stuck lens to the center of the eye where it can then be removed.


Good luck – and we promise, your eye will flush out the contact lens eventually! If of course, you find that none of these methods work for you, go see your eye doctor who will remove it for you immediately.

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