Why do my contact lenses feel so scratchy?

by Elke Smit

Elke Smit

Elke is the owner of Eyestyle Optometrist. Her passion is to promote eye health and eye care but she is even more passionate about the people behind the eyes. The most important factor is good eyesight which gives us the ability to see the beauty in all things around us.

Your eyes are the window to your soul and most spectacle wearers wear their glasses for the better part of the day.

Choosing the appropriate eyewear is not always easy! Eyewear should feel comfortable, and suitable for everyday challenges.

In a perfect world, we would like our contact lenses to feel comfortable so that we can wear it the whole day. But, it can often feel like sand scratching your eyes.

here are some of the biggest causes for discomfort and how you can prevent it:

1. You have dry eyes

Dry eyes are by far the most common problem. An indoor office environment, dust and pollen when working outdoors and even the change of season can trigger dry eyes.

Use artificial tears formulated for dry eyes. A combination of tears which can be applied during sleep and a different option for during the day can helpful in most cases. Further treatment is available in severe cases.

2. You have allergies

Allergies trigger cells in your immune system to release chemicals that lead to symptoms such as itchy, teary and overall terrible feeling eyes. If you use contact lenses it will alleviate the scratchiness because it can trap the allergens and hold it against your eyeball. Using contact lenses not as prescribed the allergens build up over time. So clean those contact lenses and case.

One major part in treating your allergies is staying as far away from your allergens if possible. If not, there are anti-allergy medications in the form of eye drops, pills or nasal sprays.

3. Something on or under your contact lens is causing scratchiness

Contact lens wearers can experience discomfort during certain times of the year due to allergens. Allergens trigger cells in your immune system that release chemicals. Symptoms of allergies can include red, itchy, teary and swollen eyes. The allergens can get trapped between the contact lense and the eye. This can cause scratchiness.

The allergens build up over time if not using your contact lenses as recommended. The biggest culprit - over wear. Using your lenses for longer than recommended. The second culprit - hygiene. Make sure you follow a good routine to clean your hands, case and lenses. Make sure you do this right!

One major part of treating your allergies is staying as far away from your allergens if possible. If not possible, there are anti-allergy medications in the form of eye drops, pills or nasal sprays.

4. Your makeup is interfering with your contact lenses

Small makeup particles can get trapped between your contact lens and eye. You can feel a scratchy sensation during the day and it can even cause an allergic reaction.

Wash your hands, take out your lenses, clean them. If your eyes react again, swap it out for a new pair and use artificial tears to lubricate the surface of the eye.

5. You have a scratch on your eye

A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the eye. In general the milder the abrasion, the faster the recovery time. It usually heals within two to three days.

You might feel a gritty, scratchy sensation or a feeling that something is in your eye. Even redness, pain, tearing, light sensitivity or headaches can be the symptoms.

If you wear contact lenses on top of the abrasion it could do one of two things:

irritate your eye even more or
it will act as an adhesive bandage and will make it feel better until you remove the lens

If sensations continue, rinse out your eye with saline or clean water. Blink a few times and use artificial tears.

The best advice is to have it checked if symptoms continue. Most important is to stop wearing your lenses!

Your contacts don’t fit well, or they do, but you are wearing them for too long

If the contact lens does not fit well it can irritate or even scratch your eye. Regular check-ups are imperative to assess the health of the eyes.

6. You have an inflamed eyelid

This is a common condition called blepharitis. It can be caused by:

a bacterial infection on your eyelid
an allergic reaction to your makeup or
the glands that form the oily layer of your tear film that is clogged

Blepharitis can cause swollen and greasy eyelids, stinging or burning sensations and crusts along your lash line together with scratchiness.

Best advice is to give your contact lenses a few days off. Use a warm compress to get rid of any crustiness and to soothe irritation.

7. Your cornea is inflamed

Inflammation of the cornea can happen because of an infection due to bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. The reason for this: over wearing of contact lenses.

You need to take out the contact lenses and please come and visit me. This condition is called, keratitis, and can cause permanent vision damage when left untreated!