Pinkeye: Tips for Contact Lens Wearers

Sometimes if you wear your contacts too long, your eyes can become irritated. Your eyes may become red and slightly painful. Usually all you need to do is remove your contacts and rest your eyes.

If you have symptoms of pinkeye (conjunctivitis), remove your contacts and wear glasses until you have talked with your health professional or your symptoms have gone away completely.

Mild pinkeye can be caused by solutions used for cleaning contacts. Rinse contacts well after cleaning. If this is not enough to stop your pinkeye, you may need to change your contact solution or your contacts.

It is important to clean your contacts thoroughly to remove any virus or bacteria from the contacts after having pinkeye. If the contacts are not thoroughly cleaned, they can reinfect your eye. If you are not able to clean your contacts thoroughly, your health professional may be able to clean your contacts or you may need to replace them. If you have disposable contacts, it is better to use a new pair after having pinkeye.

What About Cleaning My Contacts? 
If you wear rigid lenses, the we recommend you to soak them for at least 10 minutes in hydrogen peroxide to make sure the virus is destroyed.

Standard solutions for soft contact lenses will kill the most common virus associated with pink eye. But fragments of the virus may cause a recurrent infection, so replacing soft lenses is the best course of action.

The virus that causes pink eye can survive in a dormant state on counter tops, door knobs and other surfaces for up to a month. If you have pink eye, be sure to replace your contact lens case and solutions to make sure nothing is contaminated. It’s also important to disinfect the bathroom counters and other areas such as medicine cabinets where contact lens gear is stored.

When Can I Wear My Contacts Again? 
If you have pink eye, do not wear your contact lenses until the condition is resolved.