What are the main contact lens allergy symptoms?

October 16, 2014

If your eyes are red and itchy, you may be wondering whether you’re having an allergic reaction to your contacts or you just have a cold. It could be either, but some people truly are unable to tolerate contact lenses.

Contact lens allergy symptoms

You could be suffering from a contact lens allergy if:

  • You have itchy eyes
  • Your eyes are red, dry or irritated
  • You feel as though you have a foreign body or grains of sand in your eyes
  • Your eyes tear up constantly or they are sensitive to light
  • Your vision is blurred or changing
  • You’re blinking your eyes excessively

If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you should contact an eye care professional.

A contact lens allergy

Giant papillary conjunctivitis is a progressive intolerance to contact lenses. It generally shows up after several years of soft contact lens wear (rigid contact lenses are less often the cause). Usually, the eyes react to foreign bodies as the contact lenses become dirty. Consequently, the discomfort and irritation are most often felt later in the day. Decreasing the length of time you wear your contact lenses during the day or switching to rigid lenses may correct the situation. Sometimes it is necessary to stop wearing contacts completely in order to avoid damaging the eyes.

Intolerance to your cleaning solution

If you notice several contact lens allergy symptoms, you may not necessarily be allergic to the contacts per se. You could be reacting to the solution you use to clean them. In this case, the discomfort progressively decreases throughout the day, as the traces of the cleaning product dilute and disappear. The problem can generally be solved by changing cleaning solutions or by using disposable contact lenses.

Is it an allergy or just discomfort?

  • If these are your first contact lenses, it could be that the model is not right for you.
  • If you feel some discomfort when you put your lenses in, take them out and make sure they’re not damaged. Sometimes a contact lens can be torn or improperly cleaned.
  • If your vision is blurred, it might be that your contacts are inside out or put in the wrong eyes. Take them out and clean them, then put them back in correctly.

Daily maintenance

Lastly, to avoid contracting any sort of eye infection, clean your contact lenses daily and always wash your hands before you handle them. Take care of them as if they were the apple of your eye.

What are the main contact lens allergy symptoms?
The material on this website is provided for entertainment, informational and educational purposes only and should never act as a substitute to the advice of an applicable professional. Use of this website is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Close menu