Contact lens irritation leading to red eye is a very common condition we see here at the clinic, yet it is also one of the most easily preventable o.
We know that there is a lack of education out there amongst consumers who accept a level of eye pain when wearing lenses and they are unaware when to seek help.
In this post let’s unpack this topic and show you what happy lens-wearing should look like.
What the Sigma team thinks about Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are medical devices. They shouldn't be something that you buy on a whim at an unauthorized retailer.
Most people think that contact lenses are just items you can buy online, and that they can't get hurt from them. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
As eye care professionals with years of experience treating contact lens misuse, we know that when you buy lenses online yourself, you can get injured and damage your vision.
Education in Contact Lens Wearing
Fortunately, a lot of contact lens red eye issues are easily preventable and are mostly due to the lack of knowledge and education around contact lenses.
This is a real challenge in the industry and it’s a harder nut to crack. People will often buy contact lenses online, with a prescription they got from someone five years ago, and they just keep wearing the same lenses over and over again, which is okay if there's not a problem.
Or even, using their glasses prescription and try to match it up with the equivalent contact lens prescription. We know it’s not always that simple.
“People think you can just buy contacts online and they’re good to go”
Unfortunately, lenses are readily available from online retailers who just continue selling them to consumers who believe they are buying the right product.
At our clinic, we've had a lot of people coming in with these issues and our first mandate is to address this lack of knowledge and challenge people’s’ way of thinking.
Have specific questions? Try our Contact Lens FAQ page.
Accepting pain as normal
“A bit of pain is normal”
Often patients will think it’s fine to live with consistent pain, or discomfort. But it doesn’t have to be like this. A correct fitting of contact lenses should result in no pain.
Not quite sure how to live pain-free? We share 6 tips for happy healthy contact lens wearing
Knowing what to do when your eyes hurt
Most people don’t know when the appropriate time is to seek care and to get help.
“It’s often a paradigm shift for people that will take time to sink in”
You're not feeling well and the lens is hurting your eye. It’s ok to stop wearing them for a couple of days to see if the irritation clears up.
At Sigma Eyecare we want to educate our customers so they know that contact lenses require a proper cleaning and replacement regimen.
Daily Lenses (aka Dailies)
Daily lenses are lenses you wear for one day and then throw out or recycle through our collection boxes.
At the clinic we get patients wearing them for one day, and they might say:
"Oh. They still feel good. Why don't I just put it in the little case, save it for tomorrow, and wear the same ones over and over again for the next three to six months? And I'll just stop wearing them when they become uncomfortable."
Daily Lenses are called dailies for a reason. We cannot stress the importance of that enough.
Please visit the Sigma store for the full selection of Contact Lenses that we recommend.
How important are your eyes to your life?
Your eyes are an essential part of your life.
Experiencing red eyes, or any other issues related to contact lens wear, can drastically decrease your quality of life and make it challenging to perform everyday activities like working, reading, and driving.
At Sigma Eyecare Optometrists we strive to create a safe environment where people can come in and talk to us about their eye issues and get real professional advice, to ultimately help you live a better life.
How Sigma Eyecare can help with reducing contact lens issues?
Your eye doctor will help you get set up with your new contact lenses.
We offer many contact lens options for a wide range of prescriptions and lifestyles. Whether you need spherical, toric (astigmatism), monovision, multifocal, rigid gas permeable lenses, or other specialty contact lenses, a contact lens fitting exam will determine your best option.
First time contact lens wearers will go through a training session to ensure you can insert and remove the lenses safely as well as learn to properly care for your lenses.
At Sigma Eyecare Optometrists we are all about education - we want you to know what is good for your eyes, what hurts your eyes, and how you can maintain your eye health over the course of your life. It is possible.. we’re happy to support you in this journey.
RELATED: Frequently Asked Questions about Contact Lenses
Closing Comments
We know there is a lot of work to do around education, that’s why we see ourselves as the family doctors of eye care.
All we want is what's best for you and your eyes and education around contact lens wearing can really help people enjoy a better relationship with their lenses.
You're free to explore and try Hubble branded or Clearly house brand contact lenses or any other lenses you can buy online. But we want to make sure that you know the limitations and we want to be there with you along the way to ensure your eyes are healthy when you're trying these things.
Get in touch to book your initial examination, or contact lens fitting.