Sleeping in contact lenses isn’t a good idea since they’re exposed to less oxygen and moisture when your eyes are closed. The film then dries out and sticks to the eye. However, below are some essential steps you can take to remove stuck soft or gas permeable contact lenses safely. 

How to Remove Stuck Contacts

1. Massage Your Closed Eyelid

For stuck soft contact lenses, close your eye after moistening the film. Then, using clean fingers, gently rub the eyelid, and the lens should shift so you can lift it. You might need to blink a few times to keep the film hydrated. If you have watery eyes, wipe them with a clean tissue, as excessive tears can make the lenses too slippery to handle. 

2. Rehydrate the Lenses 

Hydrating dried out contact lenses will make the material soft again and easier to remove. After washing your hands, wash out your eye with a saline solution to rehydrate the film. You can also try rewetting drops, which add moisture and relieve burning sensation along with other dry-eye symptoms. 

3. Press the Corner of Your Eye 

Gas permeable contact lenses move with the eye so oxygen and tears can get under the film. This allows you to use drops or a sterile saline solution to add moisture.

Since gas permeable lenses are made of harder material, make sure not to rub your eyelids, or you could irritate or injure them. Instead, press your eye near the lens’ edge. This will shift it from your whites to the iris so you can remove it. If you have a suction device specifically for contacts, use it to lift them from the eye’s center.

If stuck contact lenses are an ongoing problem, the professionals at Eyewear Express in Rhinelander, WI, will help. Since 1992, the optometrists and board-certified opticians have been correcting refractive problems, treating eye diseases, and fitting patients with contacts. To schedule an eye doctor appointment, call (715) 365-1515. Browse their contact lens selection online.