Sore eyes when wearing contacts only once a week.

I only wear my contacts one day a week, for four to eight hours. The
next morning when I wake up, my eyes are a little tender, not bad, but
noticable. Is this normal, and something that I'd get used to if I
wore them every day, or something to be worried about?

Thanks.

 

I've noticed something similar in my own eyes, but I wear them on a
very different schedule than you do. I wear Focus Night & Day lenses
as extended-wear lenses (for which they have been fantastic for me).
When I take them out every couple of weeks for overnight cleaning, I
notice that my eyes feel slightly irritated every time I blink, and
they feel much better when I put the lenses back in the next morning.
My doc has been monitoring the health of my eyes and eyelids very
carefully and frequently and says that I am doing well. I don't know
what the explanation is, but would be interested in any opinions.

Lothar

 

Lothar of the Hill People chimed in from on high

Just a lay person here, but it sounds to me that your extended wearing
of these lenses could be causing some corneal (or possibly underside
of your upper eyelids) irritation. It would make sense, then, that
you feel it when you take out your lenses (nothing is protecting your
cornea from the big bad eyelids), but not when you put the lenses back
in.

I'm not sure if this could happen with such subtlety that your doc
sees no evidence under slit lamp examination . . . . ?

Doc's: please feel free to correct/embellish ;-)

Good luck.

Neil

 

Sounds like a reasonable enough explanation to me, but my doc is
pretty thorough, and carefully examines my corneas and lids using a
fluorescein stain (he's a corneal specialist ophthalmologist), at
least quarterly (monthly lately, since I'm on a new wearing schedule).
He would notice if there was anything wrong, I am quite sure.

I'm just curious if any other docs here have observed this to be
common/typical. I'm not the slightest bit concerned about it,
actually--I figured it just goes along with wearing contacts
extended-wear.

Lothar

 

Maybe your doc needs to check the underside of the eyelids a little more
carefully. He might find some small papillae developing.

DrG

 

Thanks, DrG. I'll ask him about that at my next appointment. I take
it from your response that you do not find the sensation that I
experience when I remove my lenses to be normal or common?

Incidentally, the slight irritation I feel after I remove my lenses
does begin to subside after they have been out of my eyes for a day or
so.

Lothar

 

I wear Focus N&D and do not have this problem.

DrG

 

Here's a real WAG from the cheap seats: I see TobraDex in Lothar's
future.....

I believe that Dr. G was referring to GPC (Giant Papillary
Conjunctivitis). I had this a few weeks ago. It resolved quickly
with drops. You may want to look it up on the 'Net and see if it
rings familiar.

Good luck!

Neil

Lothar of the Hill People wrote from on high:

 

I am well familiar with GPC, and my doc specifically looks for that at
my frequent appointments. He has not seen any sign of it. Still, I
will ask him to take a closer look at my next appointment.

Have any docs out there ever heard this complaint from a patient with
Focus N&D (or any other) soft contact lenses (that the eyes feel
slightly irritated for a time after removing them, but feel fine with
the lenses in)?

Lothar

 

I got a little hijacked here. Can someone give me an answer? Bueller?

 

(TN) wrote in

That depends on whether they are rigid or soft lenses. If you don't wear
rigid lenses everyday, then you will not build up tolerance. It is
definitely not normal for soft lenses.

DrG