Until you begin to wear contact lenses, chances are you will not realize how many times a day you rub your eyelids to stop itching, burning, or other kinds of irritation. Unfortunately, for contact lens wearers, this can create, as well as indicate any number of problems. In order to deal with these issues effectively, it is important to understand what is causing the irritation, as well as how to resolve it.
As you are aware, eyelids can feel itchy, just like any other part of the body. If you rub your eyes, chances are you will dislodge your contact lens. This will either result in it wadding up in a corner of your eye, or falling out altogether. The best thing you can do if your eyes feel itchy is to close your eyelids, and gently rub the outer corner. This will help relieve the irritation, and also will have a much lesser chance of dislodging the contact lens.
Since your contact lenses rely on the same tear ducts as your eyes do to provide moisture, your eyes are more than likely to feel dry. There are a number of inexpensive moisturizing drops available for use with contact lenses. If the dryness does not go away, or feels really uncomfortable, keep a pair of glasses with you, as well as some saline and a contact lens storage case so that you can remove your lenses.
Finally, any changes in eyesight, redness, soreness, or lumps should be reported immediately to your eye doctor. Allergic response the chemicals used to clean and store your contact lenses may cause some problems. On the other hand, you may have developed an eye infection that requires antibiotics. As with many other things, the sooner you get treatment, the less a chance you have of causing permanent harm to your eyes.
One of the most important things you can do to prevent infection is hold fast to two simple rule. If the contact lens is not in your eye, it needs to be in a sterile environment. Even if your lens becomes dislodged, and only sits on your finger for a few seconds, it is better to be safe than sorry. Before the lens goes back into your eye, it needs to be completely sterilized. Considering that there are solutions that can accomplish this task in under five minutes, there is no reason whatsoever for putting a contact lens into your eye without being sure it is free of microbes first.
Depending on how well your eyes adapt to contact lenses, you may experience itching, dryness, and allergic responses. There are some things you can do to alleviate all of these problems. While many people wind up with at least one eye infection, they are wholly preventable with some sensible precautions.