Why did my contact just pop out of my eye?
Have you ever wondered, “Why do my contacts pop out when I blink?” “Will my contacts fall out if I wear them under water?” “What is the meaning of life?” If so, today is your lucky day. We can answer… some of those things.
A universal truth
Although we may not know the meaning of life, a universal truth every contact wearer can agree on is that sometimes it seems contact lenses just don’t want to stay in your eyes. According to All About Vision, today’s contact lenses are designed to fit close to the eye, so it is rare for one to become dislodged unexpectedly, but it’s certainly possible. Now, the question remains—why would soft contacts pop out of your eyes? It could be due to blinking, allergies, or even a day at the pool that ends up being the last straw for your poor contact lenses (RIP). Although these situations may happen, the root of the issue can likely be traced to one of two things: improper fit or eye irritation.
Improper fit
Improperly fitting contacts are never fun, but in addition to being bothersome, an improper fit can cause your contact to slip out! Typically, this isn’t a cause for alarm as most improper fits are due to something as simple as an inside out lens. But in certain cases, it’s possible that it may be time for a visit to the eye doctor to check that your lens prescription is still right for your special eyes. This also comes into play when we look at different types of contacts. Gas permeable lenses are more mobile because of their rigidness and small size, and therefore would be more likely than soft contacts to pop out. On rare occasions, a contact may not fit right because it is damaged, but don’t worry, we have a guarantee for that!
Eye irritation
If fit isn’t the issue, it could be some type of eye irritation that’s causing your lens to pop out. As you may imagine, rubbing your eyes does not make for a happy contact (it’s also not good for your eyes in general – try not to do it). Maybe it’s allergies, maybe you got a little messy with your mascara application… we’re not here to judge, we simply suggest keeping your hands away from your eyes whenever possible—especially when your lenses are in. Aside from some hay fever or a speedy makeup mishap, simple things like your eyes being too dry or too wet can be the cause of your contact woes. In the warmer months, this includes days at the pool. It is possible for your contacts to pop out if you wear them under water with your eyes open, and even if they don’t pop out, there is a whole host of other reasons you should avoid doing that. Likewise, certain athletic activities or even a simple window down in the car could cause irritation that leads to a missing contact, so keep that in mind during your next road trip.
Eye irritation may be... irritating, but here’s the good news: contacts are designed specifically for the average eyeball. In other words, the normal function of your eye is the perfect environment for your contacts, so you normally don’t have anything to worry about. But for the odd time your contacts pop out underwater or because it’s a dry, windy day... keep in mind there are ways you and your contacts can have a second chance romance.
The matter at hand
Now that you know the ol’ contact-lens-popping-out-of-your-eye-thing can happen and is just a symptom of a bigger issue, but how do you fix the actual matter at hand? Ideally, you have a fresh, spare contact that you could put in instead. If you do happen to be caught in a situation where that’s not possible, make sure you take care when replacing the lens. Let it be known, the five second rule does not apply for contacts, and you should always disinfect your rogue lens before replacing it. Chances are, if it’s causing you enough irritation to pop out, it could use a little extra care.