If you are in a perfect world, you may think that your contact lens will not cause you discomfort. The reality is your contacts will feel so scratchy like the feeling of wearing the scratchiest and tiniest wool sweaters. It is important to know the possible reasons why your contacts feel so scratchy to address them properly.
It is possible that your contacts feel so scratchy because you have dry eyes. Dry eye occurs when your eyes cannot lubricate themselves adequately which means the amount of the quality of the tears is not up to normal level. You may experience dryness, itchiness, and scratchiness. Wearing contacts can make it all worse if you have a dry eye. The use of artificial tears can help in adding moisture to your eyes.
According to a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, Jennifer Fogt, O.D., adding contacts can irritate and make it more uncomfortable given that your eyes are already dry. No matter how great your ocular health is, a foreign body including contacts can dry out your eyes. If you wear contacts when working at a computer all day, you blink less often which means you are most likely to experience dry eyes.
Can Inflamed Eyelid and Cornea Cause Contacts to Feel Scratchy?
Allergic reaction to makeup or bacterial infection in eyelids can cause blepharitis to occur. According to Mayo Clinic, wearing contacts when you have blepharitis can make it more uncomfortable because it causes dryness. It is advised to discontinue the use of contacts for a few days if you have blepharitis.
If you have keratitis, it is normal to experience scratchiness, redness, pain, blurry vision, and the feeling that there is a foreign body in your eye. Make sure to seek help when you have keratitis because it can cause permanent vision damage when it is left untreated.
How to Deal With the Scratchy Feeling in Your Eye
If you think that there is something in your eye, remove your contacts as soon as possible. Make sure to wash your hands before touching the contact lens. Remember not to scratch your eyes because corneal abrasion can occur. These are the possible reasons why your contacts feel so scratchy:
- Dry eyes
- Allergies
- Something on or under contact lenses
- Makeup
- Something scratched your eye
- Contacts do not fit well
- Eyelid is inflamed
- Cornea is inflamed
There are different possible reasons but it is important to make sure to consult with your eye doctor to determine the best course of action.
