How to Safely Remove a Contact Lens from an Inflamed Eye
Remove the contact lens immediately by first washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water and drying them with a lint-free method, then gently remove the lens using your standard removal technique without using water or saliva, and consult your eye doctor urgently before reinserting any lenses. 1
Immediate Steps for Safe Removal
Hand Hygiene First
- Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them completely using a lint-free method before touching your eye or the contact lens 1
- Never use water, tap water, or saliva to wet your fingers or the lens during removal 1
Removal Technique
- Use your normal contact lens removal technique that you were trained on when the lenses were first prescribed 1
- If the lens feels stuck due to dryness, you may instill preservative-free artificial tears or rewetting drops to help lubricate the lens before removal 2, 3
- Avoid forceful manipulation if the lens is adherent—gentle patience with lubrication is safer than aggressive removal 4
Critical: Do Not Resume Wear
Discontinue all contact lens wear immediately and do not reinsert the lenses until you have been examined by your eye doctor and the cornea has completely returned to normal. 5, 4, 6
Why This Matters for Your Vision
- Inflammation with contact lens wear can signal bacterial keratitis, which threatens vision and requires urgent treatment 1, 5
- Continuing to wear lenses during inflammation dramatically increases the risk of corneal infection progression 5
- Even after symptoms improve, premature resumption of lens wear can cause recurrence and chronic complications 6
When to Seek Urgent Care
Consult your eye doctor immediately—ideally the same day—if you experience any of these warning signs: 1
- Redness of the eye
- Pain (especially moderate to severe pain, which suggests possible bacterial or Acanthamoeba keratitis) 5, 4, 6
- Tearing or watery discharge
- Increased sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Blurry vision
- Purulent (pus-like) discharge
- Swelling of the eye or eyelids
Red Flags Requiring Same-Day Evaluation
- Unilateral (one-sided) symptoms with pain are more concerning for infectious keratitis than bilateral irritation 6
- History of water exposure while wearing contacts (swimming, showering, hot tubs) raises concern for Acanthamoeba keratitis, which requires specialized treatment 1, 4, 6
What NOT to Do
- Never patch the eye after removing the lens, as this dramatically increases bacterial keratitis risk 5
- Never rinse the removed lens with tap water, bottled water, or homemade saline—use only sterile commercial contact lens solution 1
- Do not use the lens again until cleared by your eye doctor, even if symptoms resolve 5, 6
- Avoid using topical corticosteroid drops without ophthalmology guidance, as they can worsen infections 5
Proper Lens Storage After Removal
If you plan to potentially reuse the lenses (pending doctor approval):
- Rub and rinse the removed lens with fresh disinfecting solution 1
- Store in a clean case with fresh solution—never "top off" old solution with new 1
- Replace your lens case if it is older than 3 months 1
However, if infection is diagnosed, you will likely need to discard the lenses and case entirely 5
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Waiting to see if symptoms improve on their own: Contact lens-related infections can progress rapidly and cause permanent vision loss if treatment is delayed 5, 4
- Removing lenses with contaminated hands or using water: This introduces additional pathogens and increases infection risk 1
- Resuming lens wear once redness resolves: The cornea must be examined by a professional to confirm complete healing before any lens wear resumes 5, 6