Is It Possible to Become Allergic to Contact Lenses?
May 7th, 2010 | See the Top Answers to this Question Below
I’ve been wearing contacts since I was a teenager – I am 25 now. Recently I have not been able to wear them due to a swollen cornea. The optometrist believes I’m allergic to something in my environment and has put me on different types of eyedrop steriods/antibiotics for almost 4 months now and has tried two different types of lenses and everytI ame I stop wearing the lenses my eyes become better but once I wear them my eyes swell up again. The doctor told me it is not the lenses but I’m beginning to think he’s bullshitting me. I couldn’t tell you how much money I’ve spent on visits, meds, and tests. Has anyone else had this problem before? He believes it could be due to a medication I took almost 3 years ago? This is really stressing me out and I can’t stand not being able to wear my contacts. Any help would be much appreciated thanks!
Just for the record my optometrist had changed my contact lenses to disposable silicone breathables and I still had this problem. He actually changed the brand twice as well as the solution. I have done some research and found an opthalmologist and I plan on setting an appointment soon. Thank you for all your help and responses! I truly appreciate it!
More Contact Lens Websites:
- Optometrist Develops iPhone App to Predict Glaucoma » Blog @ Midwest Lens
- Optometrist Directory – U.S. Optometrists and Opticians
- Lasik – Cornea Swelling & Fluctuating Vision? | LASIK Blog
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Posted in Contact Lenses | 
Tags: 3 years, 4 months, antibiotics, appointment, Contact Lenses, how much money, medication, meds, opthalmologist, optometrist, silicone, swollen cornea, teenager
I’ll bet you have dry eye. Doesn’t sound real, does it? I’ve been wearing contacts for 15 years and my eyes have been chronically bloodshot. Finally, after my cornea swelled up, I went to an ophthalmologist and she diagnosed me with dry eye, where my eyes don’t produce enough tears and my contacts worsened the condition by sucking the moisture out of my eyes. I now have permanent tear duct plugs and am on Restasis, and still haven’t seen much improvement. My eyes get red whenever I wear contacts. I have a follow-up appointment next week. See an ophthalmologist, not an optometrist….an ophthalmologist is an actual MD and they specialize in eye disorders. Also, do some research on the internet about dry eye to get some more info. I miss contacts too- I only wear them a couple times a week. I intend to try a different brand, one that permits more oxygen to get through, but my doctor doesn’t want me wearing contacts until my condition is better controlled.
I wear contact lenses for six months until I become alergic to them. Now I have to use special ones for my eyes.
possibly and maybe your contact solution? have you changed it? or maybe makeup you are wearing?
It is possible. I would change eye doctors to find one that will help you with your problem. I was not diagnosed with an allergy, but I stopped wearing them and got laser surgery, which I am happy with now.
I would make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. This is an MD who specializes in the eyes.
It is possible to be allergic to anything. An allergy can develop at any time and you can be allergic today to something you were not allergic to yesterday. Contact lenses are made to be hypo-allergenic so my guess is it is something else. You can have a response to environmental allergies that can involve no other symptoms but eye symptoms (itching, swelling, puffiness, redness, etc).
Good luck!
i am going to have to go and take my contacts now after reading about your problems. contact problems are the worst.
why don’t you try switching contact solutions? my sister has many allergies and she had a TERRIBLE time finding a solution that would work for her. I cannot even remember what she did end up using but I know that she couldn’t use any of the name brands you would think would be best.
my husbands eyes become TERRIBLE if he uses any of the generic brand saline soluation that I buy. they will become so red and itchy and he’ll end up scratching his eye or they just burn so bad he has to take them out. he can use RENU though…but not all kinds of RENU…just the basics.
i have a friend and cousin who also had saline solution trouble and it jsut came out of no where…that is why i am suggesting this!
have you tried switching from disposables to regular contacts? maybe try switching brands – it is worth a shot.
i know one thing that i would definitely switch – eye doctors. you need to get some more opinions.
take care and good luck! SD