How to Tell If Contact Lens is Still in Eye

How to Tell If a Contact Lens Is Still in Your Eye

Losing a contact lens while it’s still on your eye is an unsettling situation. You can’t see clearly, and there’s worry it may have dislodged without you realizing. This uncertainty risks further eye irritation or even an embedded lens if left unaddressed. How to tell if contact lens is still in eye ?Don’t panic – this guide teaches you reliable methods for detecting a lost lens and retrieving it safely.

Try Blinking First

How to tell if contact lens is still in eye ?When you first suspect a lens has dislodged, give a series of gentle, exaggerated blinks before investigating further. Sometimes the motion alone can reposition or flush out the misplaced lens. Blink repeatedly while looking down towards a clear surface in case it falls out during the process.

However, avoid aggressively rubbing or touching your eyes before confirming if the lens is out. This could potentially dislodge or fold up the lens even further, scratching your cornea. Start by just blinking first.

Check the Inside of Your Eyelids

If blinking fails to reveal or reposition the lens, your next step is checking underneath your eyelids. With a handheld mirror, gently pull down your lower lid to expose the inside lid surface and look closely for the lens adhered there. Then switch to pulling up on your upper lid to inspect that area too.

You may need to use your other hand or get someone else to help hold your lid steady during this process. Go slowly and be gentle – you don’t want to accidentally push the lens further back.

Examine Your Eye Closely

Assuming you cannot locate the lens on your lid areas, systematically examine your actual eye surface next. Have proper lighting shining directly into your eye while you use your clean fingers to hold your lids open wide.

Look closely with magnification like a makeup mirror for any signs of the lens folded, bunched up in the corners, or still partially attached to your cornea. Go slowly, turning your eye in every direction until you’ve verified there’s no lens present.

Check With Eyedrops

How to tell if contact lens is still in eye ?Another detection method is using rewetting or saline eyedrops. Instill a few fresh, preservative-free drops directly into the eye in question. Then blink a few times while looking down over a clear surface or tissue.

If the lens is still in your eye, the added moisture may help it dislodge and come out when blinking. Or it may become more visible, allowing you to spot the lens location.

Be careful using eyedrops before first verifying the lens isn’t folded up – the added liquid could potentially push a folded lens further up under your lid in rare cases.

Locate with Fluorescein Dye

An optometrist can implement an even more thorough search method using fluorescein dye. After instilling this orange-tinted dye into your eye, they’ll use an illuminated microscope to scan for any particles tinted with the fluorescence.

The dye causes any undetected lens remnants to glow bright green so your eye doctor can pinpoint and retrieve even minuscule pieces. It’s essentially like conducting a blacklight sweep for anything that doesn’t naturally belong in your eye.

Identify Symptoms if Lens Is Stuck

Your eyes will exhibit certain signs if the lost lens is still embedded somewhere inside. You may experience redness, excessive watering or discharge, pain, abnormal sensitivity to light, blurred vision, or general eye discomfort that persists despite flushing efforts.

Those symptoms indicate either the full lens or pieces of it are stuck but haven’t been located yet. In these cases, resist the urge to overwear your eyes searching. It’s time to visit your optometrist for their expertise before the issue potentially worsens.

How an Eye Doctor Retrieves Lost Lenses

Depending on their examination findings, an optometrist has various approaches for extracting stubborn lenses. Using specialized microscopes and bright lenses, they visually track down the tiniest remnants. Gentle tool-assisted techniques may be needed if the lens is embedded too deep for manual removal.

Some situations require administering antibiotic eye drops or anesthetic drops first before attempting retrieval if infections or excessive irritation is present. Your eye doctor always prioritizes utmost safety and painless removal. Uncooperative cases may require surgery as a last resort for deeply embedded lenses.

Preventative Measures Going Forward

How to tell if contact lens is still in eye ?After resolving a lost lens incident, take stock of what circumstances may have contributed to it dislodging in the first place. Common culprits include eye rubbing, ill-fitting lenses, makeup use around eyes, or even chronic dry eye conditions. Identify the likely cause with your optometrist so you can troubleshoot better fit, lens materials, or hygiene routines.

It’s also wise to establish a lens wear routine that minimizes likelihood of future losses. Steps like applying lenses before doing makeup, avoiding excessive eye touching, and replacing lenses on schedule prevent many lost lens situations. Taking deliberate preventative action gives peace of mind.

When You Just Can’t Find It

Ultimately, if all attempts by you and your optometrist to locate and retrieve the lost lens fail, the final solution is discontinuing wear in that eye to allow it to fully heal and clear out itself naturally over time. As unpleasant as it sounds, keeping the affected eye closed and lens-free for several days often expels even the most stubbornly trapped lens fragments.

It’s an inconvenient last resort, but better than risking further eye injury or complications from persisting with a painfully unproductive search for the undetected lens. Your optometrist guides you through this approach if it becomes necessary.

Stay Calm and Don’t Overwork Your Eyes

The mere thought of losing a contact lens still in your eye understandably sparks worry over eye injuries or vision harm. However, it’s crucial to approach the situation calmly and avoid overexerting your eyes in the search process.

Remain diligent about following your optometrist’s directives precisely. Don’t rub vigorously or put excessive pressure on your eyes that only increases irritation and traps any lenses further. With patience and the proper detection techniques, you’ll either locate the lens for safe removal or allow your eyes to naturally expel it over time.

In Conclusion

Misplacing a contact lens is an unnerving predicament, but one that can be resolved safely by systematically ruling out where the lens may be and enlisting professional eye care assistance if needed. Stay calm, gently inspect your eyes, and heed any persistent symptoms that indicate the lens needs hands-on intervention for removal. With proper precautions, you’ll pinpoint the lens location and avoid any harm to your vision. Establishing preventative wear routines helps minimize any future lens losing incidences too.