Contact Lens City

Your contact lens may be getting too dry during the time it takes to actually be inserted onto the eye. That will cause discomfort for most. Before you put the contact in put a drop of sterile saline solution for use with contact lenses (a large bottle of generic saline is usually only a couple of dollars) into the bowl of the lens (after you’ve made sure the lens is right side out). If it takes more than a minute to insert the contact, rinse the contact off again with the saline to rehydrate it. The longer the lens is exposed to air without the benefit of your tear layer, the more dehydrated it becomes. Make sure your hands and face are clean (do the contacts before makeup or moisturizer) to be sure there are no irritants from your skin. Even though you are only using the rinsing solution, the contact absorbs some of the disinfecting solution from it’s overnight soak – you might be a bit sensitive to the preservative in it. From what you’ve described though, I think making sure the lens is kept hydrated will take care of the prob.

Here is an earlier post for a new contact lens wearer that may help you out, too:

Have you tried practicing touching the eye in front of a mirror? Make sure your hands are clean, of course, and use a mirror that you can get pretty close to. Use one hand to gently pull the top lashes up (by pinning them against the upper lid with the flat of your finger). With your other hand pull the lower lid down with your ring finger (pull from close under your lower lashes instead of farther down under your eye) and use your middle finger (the pad not the nail) to touch your eye (most people do better using the middle finger because it is longer. Using the ring finger to pull the lower area down gives you better leverage with the middle finger. If you have to use your pointer finger to touch the eye with, use your middle finger to pull down the lower lid – you may just have to adjust the angle of you hand and tilt the head a bit to do this). If you are working with your left eye you need to focus/watch with your right and vice versa. Observe how much room you have between the upper and lower lid – you want as much room as possible, without it being uncomfortable or painful. Try to touch as close to the iris as possible. The dark circle around the iris (the limbus line) is a good target also. Doing this a couple of times each day will help desensitize you and make it easier when you actually are using a contact to practice with. Once you graduate to trying with the contact on keep in mind that the contact has to touch the eye itself – if it hits your lids, lashes, or the fingers holding these, it will usually tip, flip, or fold instead of going onto the eye smoothly. You can manipulate it a bit onto the eye – once it is on you can use the flat of your finger to slide it around gently until it is in place. This doesn’t hurt at all. Just make sure you only use the flat part of your finger and not your nail. Some patients do well by placing the lens onto the white area of the eye and gently sliding the lens onto the cornea (aim for your pupil basically). Try to keep both eyes open – it’s easier to keep the eye receiving the contact open if the other eye remains open and focused on where the lens is being placed.
If you have a hard time getting the contact in the first couple of times don’t be discouraged or give up. It gets easier and may just take some creative methodology. I’ve had patients who have had to come back for more than one class (even patients who have tried learning for years at various different practices) that it’s just been a matter of finding the method that works best for them. If you have longish nails clip them down and file them smooth. You can grow them back out once you are more comfortable handling the contacts. Make sure you understand how to tell if the contact lens is right side out – if it isn’t it’s not going in (or if by chance it does it won’t feel very good). If you don’t feel you are getting the proper attention or directions from the technician at your eye care professionals office – don’t be afraid to ask to work with someone else. If you have a difficult prescription (toric contacts) you may have to practice a bit longer (torics like to fall off the finger before it reaches the eye if not balanced properly on the finger) or if you have smaller eyes and a big contact ask your doctor if there is a smaller lens available.

when putting your lenses in, use one hand to hold your top lids and with the other habd have the lens on your middle or index finger and hold your bottom lids out of the way with your little finger and ring finger. Make sur you have h tight grip on your eyelashes so you can’t blink. Look into the mirror and not at the lens and keep both eyes open! If it takes a few attemps rinse the lens occasionally with solution, this should stop some stinging. DON’T TRY TOO LONG. give yourself plenty of time and only try for max 10 mins, if they havn’t gone in do something else for a bit and come back to it. It takes time but you will get there eventually