Contact Lens Stuck in Eye: Causes and Remedies

If you are a contact lens wearer or thinking about becoming one, you’ve probably found yourself asking “can your contact go behind your eye?” – if this question has most likely crossed your mind at one point or another, you will be happy to learn that it is, in fact, impossible for this to occur.

Don’t believe it? The ContactsDirect team is here to explain why. Fortunately, it’s impossible to have the contact stuck behind the eye since your eye protects this from happening due to the conjunctiva, which is the thin, moist lining that is on the eye’s inner surface. The conjunctiva folds back at the back of your eye, becoming the outer cover of the white part of your eyeball. In simpler words, the conjunctiva prevents anything from going behind the eye or from getting stuck behind the eye.

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How to tell if a contact lens is still in your eye?

Now that you know your contact lens can't get lost behind your eye, we can cover what is happening and how to correct it.

You may have this "lost" sensation after rubbing your eyes as the contact lens can loosen from your cornea. The lens can get stuck under your upper eyelid, but this does not mean that the lens is actually behind your eye.

If you experience discomfort after rubbing your eyes or for another reason, there are steps that you can take to fix the issue. The sensation may be foreign and irritating, and you will most likely notice it quickly.

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How to remove a contact lens that's stuck in your eye

If you find it becomes difficult to remove the lens from your eye, there are a few tricks that you can use to remove contacts safely:

• One of the easiest ways to remove the lens safely is to use a few contact lens rewetting drops. Then close your eye and gently massage. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before putting them anywhere near your eyes. The lens will likely move where you can see it to remove it safely.
• Another method that may help you remove the lens is simply looking in the opposite direction of the irritation. If the lens appears to be stuck on the right side, move your eye to the left side. This movement may assist in shifting the lens back to the appropriate position.
• In most cases, using the solution will successfully remove the lens, but sometimes this will not work. If that is the case, you may need to turn your eyelid inside out. Sound frightening? No worries, enlist a family member or friend to help you if it's too much. Place a Q-tip across the eyelashes and look downward. Then gently turn the eyelid inside out and tip your head backward. You should now be able to find the lens and safely remove it.

If you continue to experience issues or do not feel comfortable removing the lens yourself, you can visit your eye doctor.

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Will a stuck contact eventually come out on its own?

Even though the eye is one of the more delicate parts of your face, we are lucky that parts of the eye, like the conjunctiva, work to protect our eyes from being harmed. You may have noticed that when an eyelash or dust finds its way in, your eye begins to tear up to help wash it away.

So, if you have experienced the irritating sensation of a contact lens that has shifted, rest easy. You can remove it and get on to seeing your best in comfort.