All contact lens wearers have probably experienced having a contact stuck in their eye once in their life. People who experienced this problem panicked because they worry about the contact lens getting lost behind the eye. Do not worry about removing a stuck contact lens in your eyes because there are tips that you can follow to easily remove it.
Soft contact lens is the most common type of contact lens that gets stuck in the eye. The first step that you will make is to wash your hands thoroughly. The next step is to determine where the contact lens is in your eye. If the contact is stuck in your cornea, the reason is the lens has probably dried out which explains why it is properly centered. It can also occur when you fall asleep while wearing contact lenses. If contact is stuck in your eye off the center, look in an opposite direction where you think the lens is placed.
If you fall asleep with contact lens on, rinse the stuck contact and eye with a multipurpose contact lens solution, sterile saline, or rewetting drops for the contact lens. After that, close your eyes and gently massage the upper lid until you feel that the lens is moving. If it is still stuck, repeat the rinsing step until it moves. It may take up to 10 minutes and several rinses for the lens to move. Once the lens moves, remove the contact lens as you normally do.
How to Remove a GP Contact Lens Stuck in Eye
Remember to avoid doing the same procedure for removing soft contact lenses because the removal technique for hard gas permeable contact lenses is different. Do not massage your eyelid because the GP lens can abrade the eye. Use the pad of your fingertip if the lens is stuck on the white of the eye. Break the suction by gently pressing the eye outside the edge of the lens.
You can also use a small “suction cup” which can be bought in the contact lens care section of drug stores. Press the concave end of this device gently to the center of the GP lens which will adhere to the lens. You can now gently pull the lens off the surface of the eye.
What Should I Do if I Cannot Remove a Stuck Contact Lens?
Call an eye doctor immediately if none of these techniques work. Your eye doctor or a staff member can remove the lens for you immediately. Lubricate the eye with sterile saline or artificial tears if your eye feels dry and irritated. If your eye is still irritated after doing this, visit an eye doctor immediately because it may be a sign of corneal abrasion.
