Keratitis and eye irritation after removing contacts

Austin Brewer
Jun 15, 2022

Eye irritation is a universal experience for most people at least once in their lives. Whether it’s a stray dust particle or allergy season, everyone can relate to having unhappy eyes at some point. This is especially true if you’re a contact lens wearer. Constantly poking our eyes, being unwise with cleaning habits, accidentally doubling-up on contacts, and sometimes our contacts just have a bad day.   

All those things happen, and they can cause some irritation, but when does mild irritation turn into a serious problem? And how do you know?  

Eye irritation from contacts

Contact lenses can be finnicky things. They are wonderful for your quality of life and can let you forget about your -4.00 vision, but they’re not always sunshine and rainbows. Unfortunately, most contact lens wearers would report occasional mild irritation from their contacts. Our eyes are already incredibly sensitive and adding in an additional variable, like contacts, can complicate things.  

It’s completely normal to experience some mild eye irritation after removing contacts. Luckily, we all know our eyes pretty well. There’s a distinct difference between, “Ouch, that’s annoying” and “Oh, my eye is on fire”. You are the best person to tell if the irritation you’re experiencing is normal or not.  

If the eye discomfort lasts longer than 2 weeks or if it suddenly gets worse, you’ll want to consult with your eye doctor. There is a chance your contacts don’t fit correctly, or you may have developed an eye infection like keratitis.  

Keratitis

Keratitis, also known as a corneal ulcer, is an inflammation of the clear, front surface of the eye called the cornea. Keratitis can cause symptoms such as redness, pain, light sensitivity, a scratchy or gritty feeling, blurred or hazy vision and watering. If your eyes consistently feel scratchy after taking contacts out, then this may be a sign of keratitis. It is an infection from bacteria, viruses or fungus and if left untreated may lead to vision loss.  

Keratitis can affect anyone, even if they don’t wear contact lenses, but it often results from improper contact lens wear. People who don’t clean or replace their contact lenses as directed, and people who sleep in contact lenses are much more susceptible to episodes of keratitis. Keratitis is also more common in people who wear lenses that have not been properly fitted to their eye, such as decorative costume lenses. This reason alone is why getting a correctly fitted contact lens is essential to the health of your eyes.  

What to do if you're experiencing symptoms

Early treatment of keratitis is critical in minimizing the risk of permanent damage to the eye that could cause vision loss. If you experience any of the symptoms of keratitis, be sure to remove your contact lenses immediately and get in to see an eye doctor (an optometrist or ophthalmologist) as soon as possible.  

Your eye doctor will use a high-powered microscope to examine your eye, and may need to put colored dye into your eye to better visualize the corneal tissue. Primary care doctors or urgent treatment centers often do not have the specialized equipment or training needed to diagnose keratitis, so it is important to see an eye doctor. 

What to expect during treatment 

Depending on the nature and cause of the keratitis, your eye doctor will prescribe eye drops, and sometimes oral medications to help heal your eye. These medications may include antibiotics, antivirals or steroids, as well as medications to help control the pain. Since keratitis can be so threatening to vision, careful monitoring of the healing is often required. 

Many people are guilty of improperly wearing contact lenses, and often feel like there is no risk in over wearing their lenses. Any patient who has experienced an episode of keratitis can vouch for the fact that the risk is very real.  

Original published date: 1/24/2020

Updated: 6/15/2022