When it comes to contact lens rules, two of the big no-no’s include sleeping in your contacts or having them be exposed to water. So, what happens if you accidentally fall asleep whilst wearing your lenses, or you take a shower and blindly forget to take them out? Does this mean you are guaranteed for an instant eye infection or straightaway blindness? Short answer, no, it doesn’t automatically mean those things will happen to you, however, it does make you increasingly susceptible for something serious to happen. But do not fret, below we will walk you through the things you should do if something like that happens.

You fell asleep in your lenses

1- Circulate eye moisture before removing

For whatever reason, you forget to take your lenses out before bed, and you now happen to wake up in the morning with dry eyes, eye pain, or maybe with no symptoms at all. First thing to do is to blink your eyes to circulate moisture back into them. Your eyes are likely to be a bit dehydrated after having a lens stuck inside them all night, so blink a few times before you remove your lenses. Once your lenses are out- either dispose of them if they are dailies, or clean them thoroughly (but gently) with solution. The lack of oxygen or build-up of debris can lead to eye infection, hence if your eye is already infected, it is best to throw away your contaminated lenses and see a doctor for treatment, as eye infections can lead to something serious like loss of vision. If your eye is too sore to be able to remove your contacts, see your doctor immediately.

2- Give your eyes a rest

After the overnight sleepover in your lenses, if possible, it would be a good idea to give your eyes a rest from wearing contacts for the following day, just to avoid further irritation. Wearing contacts for an extended time can be hard going on our eyes, interrupting the flow of oxygen it needs to be healthy. Therefore, if your eyes are dry and sore the next morning, try a contact safe eye drop to add moisture back into them. It is normal to experience some redness, irritation, sensitivity, blurred vision, and tears, but after a day your symptoms should subside, and your eyes will start to feel back to normal. If your symptoms persist for longer, it could be an eye infection which will need treatment. Overall, if you follow these guidelines, you should be able to stay on top of any eye problems, or be lucky enough to avoid any issue altogether.

3- Set a reminder

Note however, even if your eyes feel fine after sleeping in contacts, they still need time to breathe and recover. Repeated falling asleep in contacts can reduce your cornea’s ability to protect your eyes from any bacteria that may find its way inside. This is why it is important to avoid falling asleep in your contacts as much as possible. Setting an alarm on your phone every night to remind yourself to take them out could be a good option for those who encounter this problem regularly.

You took a shower or went for a swim with your contacts in

1- Remove, dispose, or disinfect contacts

When water enters our contacts, they can absorb harmful bacteria, viruses, and pathogens which can be detrimental to our eye health. This is not just limited to showering- swimming in pools, lakes, rivers, and oceans are all areas that can harbour harmful entities. Whatever body of water you and your contacts find yourselves in, the first thing you need to do when you get out is to remove your contacts, as prolonged exposure increases the risk of infection. This is particularly serious if your eyes are exposed to a specific micro-organism called Acanthamoeba, that can be found in water- particularly tap water. Exposure to Acanthamoeba is very rare, but when it does occur, contact lens wearers are most at risk. It creates a parasitic infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) which attacks the cornea, and can lead to instantaneous loss of vision, pain, white or yellow spots covering the iris, scarring of the cornea, and can even bring on cataracts. Thankfully, this infection is treatable, however, it can take up to a year to fully be cured.

Now I have scared you to never forget to take your lenses out, ensure you dispose or disinfect your contacts immediately after water exposure. Disposing of your contacts afterwards is the safest way, but if you have bi-weekly or monthly lenses, it is recommended to disinfect them for 24 hours to ensure they are completely rid of any bacteria. In this time, you may need to get your glasses back out, or use a brand-new pair of contact lenses if your eyes are able to withstand contacts immediately after.

2- Use a contact safe eye drop

Once you have removed your contacts, your eyes may feel dry after exposure to the water. If this is the case, you can use contact safe eye drops to alleviate any irritation. Red, irritated eyes are common after water has gotten into your contact lenses, but if symptoms persist or worsen, it could be sign of infection, which needs to be taken straight to your doctor. If you accidentally wore your contacts whilst swimming, once you remove your lenses, wash your eyes with fresh, distilled water. This is to remove any dirt or debris that may be stuck in your eyes.

3- Wear tight-fitting goggles

It is always a risk when you expose your contacts to water, and it is never recommended to do so. But if you are a swimmer and wearing contacts are a necessity for you to see underwater, wearing goggles that hug tight to the face will help to keep water out from your eyes. However, this isn’t foolproof, so if you are a regular swimmer, you may like to consider prescription made goggles. Then there are those ‘non-accidental’ contact wearers- for those who do not want the hassle of taking their lenses out when showering, only to put them back in again. In this situation, you can also consider wearing goggles into the shower which will help to keep the water out from your eyes. Just remember to not look directly into the water to reduce the chance of your lenses getting wet.