Contact Lenses and Foreign Body Sensation

Ask an Eye M.D. Answer Archive

Question:
My eyes hurt once I've taken out my contacts. Like something is in it, but nothing is. It hurts until I wake up in the morning. Is it something to worry about?  

Answer:
Contact lenses create an local environment under the lens which the eye surface becomes tolerant to. When you remove the lens, there is a more direct introduction of atmospheric conditions to the eye surface and it has to re-adapt. For most this is a simple and quick adjustment but some will experience a certain degree of discomfort and a foreign body sensation can also occur. The fact that you have this for a prolonged period suggests a problem with tear flow or composition or perhaps the fit of the lens. This would be usefully discussed with your ophthalmologist.

Answered by: Richard Bensinger, MD  

Categories: General Eye Health, Vision Correction

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