Can I Rub my Eyes when Wearing Contact Lenses?

When an external particle gets into your eyes; your brain directs your hands to rub your eyes immediately. However; the case is slightly complex when you are wearing contact lenses. Rubbing your eyes too hard with contact lenses may scratch your eyes and develop sore eyes.

Why not to rub eyes when wearing Contact Lenses?

The natural phenomenon of rubbing eyes begins when your eyes need an instant-cleanup. Rubbing your eyes is considered a stimulant to tear production. The flow of tears then lubricates dry eyes and helps flushing out dust-particles and other irritants. This is why medical experts warn wearers of contact lenses to observe caution whilst rubbing eyes. Due to the excessive tear production rubbing may flush out contact lenses with flushing the irritating particles.

Also; the surface of our hands also has innumerable bacteria. Whilst rubbing eyes; these bacteria can get into eyes making the condition even worse for contact lens wearers. Normal rubbing is fine and should not be worried about; says Professor Charles McMonnies, from the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of NSW. Serious rubbing on eyes cause pressure which may be harmful for the already weakened retina and the dome-shaped window on which we rely for clear vision.

What to do when something gets into Eyes Whilst Wearing Contact Lenses?

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If you feel a strong urge of rubbing your eyes when you are wearing contact lenses be warned. Instead of rubbing your eyes hard for a prolonged period of time with the heel of your hands; try fixing the situation just by using the third finger pad softly. Open your eyes wide and blink slowly. This will help flushing out the irritants from the eyes.

If upon blinking eyes do not get cleaned; then removing contact lenses is the best option. Always carry contact lens kit to tackle with such emergencies.

Precautions:

People with allergies should rather avoid wearing contact lenses. If you have eye allergies you might have special interest in rubbing the eyes. Sometimes the pollen from your lashes gets into your eyes upon rubbing. This may aggravate already red sore and itchy eyes making you rub your eyes even more; Says McMonnies. The pollen and the bacteria found in your hands will combine together to make the situation out of control.

Do not start rubbing your eyes soon after removing contact lenses. This is dangerous; because this put your eyes under strain that are already lacking oxygen due to contact lenses.

To help relax your sore eyes after rubbing it is advised to prepare saline solution. Make a cup of your hand and fill it with saline solution. Put the brim of your palm’s cup at the bone of eye socket under the lower lash. Blink your eyes few times very very slowly. Doing this will relieve your eyes’ stress &strain they had just been through because of rubbing eyes with contact lenses.

Lubricate your eyes by squirting some drops of your regular eye drops. Placing cucumber slices on eyes also cool down the stressed eyes and relieves the pressure in nerves.

Wearing contact lenses is safe ; you just need to be diligent about the cleanliness of your contact lenses and hygiene of your eyes.