Can a Contact Get Stuck Behind Your Eye?

July 17, 2023 Ofelia Braun Buyer's Guides 0

Most new contact lens wearers are scared of one thing: getting eye damage from wearing the lenses. They are mostly worried about the lens getting stuck in the eye or moving to the back of the eyes.

But let’s tell you this right here, right now. Contacts can get stuck in your eye. But it cannot move to the back of your eyes. Also, it is not entirely eye-damaging if the contact lens gets stuck.

If you notice this uncomfortable feeling on time, you can remove the stuck lens at home or visit an eye doctor to remove it. Do you want to know how? Keep reading!

How Do Contacts Get Stuck?

There are many ways contact lens gets stuck in your eye. One of these is when the lens is ripped or torn. Torn lens poses more threats to your eye than getting stuck. The ripped edges could scratch the surface of your cornea, leading to corneal abrasion and possible eye damage.

But it doesn’t mean it is the end of the world either. A quick visit to the eye doctor will solve the issue, so you should always remain calm.

Aside from torn lenses, contact lenses can also get stuck when they slip out of place – and no, this is not something you can avoid. Even master contact lens wearers have to deal with this situation occasionally. The situations that can make your contact lens slip out of place include:

When you fall asleep with the lens in your eye
Forgetting to wet your eye with lubricating fluid causes dry eyes.
Using forceful pressure to rub your eye so much that the lens shifts.

Finally, stuck contact lenses could arise from an oversized contact lens. If your contact lens is bigger or smaller than your cornea, it would be challenging to stay in place. Hence, it would be floating around in your eye or you’ll end up with a stuck contact lens.

What Happens if a Contact Lens Gets Stuck in My Eye?

Now that we have seen the possible ways it can happen let’s talk about how bad it might be. News flash! It’s not so bad. When you have a stuck contact lens, know that you can always move on from it. It does no harm to your eye and certainly will not blind you – so let that go.

But some things would happen when you have lost contact lenses floating around in your eye.

It will be uncomfortable: Even though it’s a soft contact lens, you’ll be able to feel that something is just not right somewhere in your eye.
Your vision could be blurry: In some cases, you could have blurry vision, especially if the contact lens is stuck off-center.

How to Remove a Contact Lens Stuck in Your Eye

It’s time for the main dish – how to remove contact lenses stuck in your eye. There are a few different ways to remove a stuck contact depending on the type of contact lens and the position of the stuck contact lens.

How to Remove a Soft Contact Lens From Your Eye

Stuck soft contact lens is prevalent with dry eyes. If your eye has lost most of the moisture, the contact lens loses the ability to sit on the cornea, hence sticking onto it.

But a solution exists even if a soft lens remains stuck in your eye. The following are the steps to removing stuck soft contacts from your eye.

Wash your hands: Clear your hands from germs and dirty oil that can lead to eye infections. Use mild soap and water to wash your hands thoroughly.
Rinse your eye: Remember that the stuck contact lens is there because of limited or lack of lubrication. So for a few seconds, allow a steady stream of sterile eye wash, saline solution, or contact lens rewetting drops to pour over your contact lenses and eye. Do not wash your eyes – just only the lubricating eye drops to serve as a suitable substitute.
Blink frequently: The next thing to do, as easy as it might sound, is to blink repeatedly.
Gently massage: Massaging your closed upper eyelid will cause the contacts stuck in the eye to move around. This will enable you to remove the contact lens safely.
Continue with the massage and stay calm: Massage the upper lid until the lens moves gently. When it eventually does, you can gently pull the contact lenses out of your eyelid.

Removing a Gas Permeable (GP) Contact Lens Stuck in Your Eye

It’s time for the gas-permeable contact lens. But you should know that with a hard contact lens stuck, the removal method is completely different from the above techniques. Follow the steps below to remove a gas-permeable lens from your eye.

Do not massage your closed eyelid. Instead, use your fingertip to gently press the edge of the lens’ concave end from the inside of your eyelid. Remember to do this with clean hands.
Use the small suction cup that comes with your contact lenses as another alternative (but remember to read the directions from your eye doctor on how to use it correctly first). These suction cups are available from pharmacies if you don’t already have one.

Learn more: How to Remove Contact Lenses

How to Get Contact out From Behind Eye

What about when the contact lens is stuck behind the eye? What can you do?

You should direct the contact lens caught in your eye to the outside corner. Again, always start with clean, well-lubricated hands and eyes.

Slide the lens piece to your eye’s corner with your finger. Once it’s there, getting rid of it is simple.

If you’re having trouble getting the contact lenses to the corner of your eye, try constantly blinking and cleaning your eye with saline, as described above.

How Long Can a Contact Lens be Stuck in Your Eye

It is best not to leave stuck contact lenses for too long in your eye. A few hours is enough time and at most, 24 hours – that’s if you don’t want to damage your eye permanently.

Therefore, immediately you sense that your contact lenses might be stuck in your eye, quickly remove it, or reach your eye doctor.

What to Do If You Can’t Remove a Stuck Contact Lens

If you cannot remove a stuck lens, don’t panic. Stay calm because it is not the end of the world. All you need to do it to visit your eye doctor immediately.

The doctor might conduct an eye exam or would use a microscope to check where the contacts are in your eye. After it has been found, the doctor will use the proper way to remove the stuck lenses from your eye.

Tips to prevent contacts getting lost or stuck in your eye

If you want to prevent contact lenses from getting stuck in your eye, you only need to follow the following recommendations we have listed below.

How can I Reduce My Risk of Getting a Contact Stuck in My Eye?

Never sleep in your lens.
Lubricate your eye and lens properly with eye drops or multipurpose solution.
Don’t go swimming in your contacts.
Avoid showering with your eye contact lenses.
Reduce how much physical contact your fingers have with your eye (rubbing or scratching).

Never Wear a Torn or Broken Contact Lens

In addition to the above list, avoid managing a torn or a ripped lens. The ripped contacts can scratch your eye and cause more permanent damage.

Rinse Your Eye With Eye Drops

Never use tap water to rinse your eye. The water could contain germs and bacteria which can make things worse. Instead, use only eye drops.

Wear The Correct Prescription Lenses

Your eye shape is different from another person’s. Hence, ensure that you visit use only the right prescription lenses for your eye.

Is it Normal For a Contact Lens to Regularly Get Lost In My Eye?

If you don’t follow the steps listed above, yes – it is possible for it to be a regular concern. Not only will this threaten your eye health, but it puts you in an uncomfortable position too often.

Can You Go Blind From A Lost Contact in the Eye?

If you remove the lens quickly, you cannot go blind from a lost contact in the eye. However, allowing it to stay too long can lead to permanent damage.