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Original poster

I think I have a contact lens stuck in my eye...any advice...?

31 replies

recall · 26/02/2013 23:27

I got mixed up, and I think I may have put one in on top of the other. I tok one out, and now my eye is really blurry, but I can't get a lens out. I have looked with a torch, but I can't see it. I can't keep trying because my eye is getting sore. It might not even be in there...... feels very wrong.

I recently got a corneal ulcer when something like this happened. I know it sounds strange, but my thumbs are really big, so when I remove my lenses, sometimes it is a bit clumsy.

OP posts:
IsItAMonster · 26/02/2013 23:30

Can you get someone else to look for you? Its a Horrid feeling isnt it?

Original poster
recall · 26/02/2013 23:34

Everyone is asleep Sad Im not sure if i have damaged my eye trying to get a non existent lens out. Don't want another ulcer, it was really epic. When the doc examined my eye, he said to the nurse, right, lets do a scrape Shock then he scraped my eye 5 times with a scalpel to do a sort of swab to see if it was infected - nasty.

OP posts:
CardinalRichelieu · 26/02/2013 23:37

My inexpert advice: try to get your eyes a bit moist. Youtube something touching or watch Toy Story 3. If the lens is stuck to the eye this should loosen it up a bit. Then shut your eye and pull the lid sideways with your finger. If the lens is there you should be able at least to feel it, especially if you blink. A bit of rubbing the eyelid and blinking with your eye closed (if that makes sense) should loosen it and hopefully you can then get it out.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 26/02/2013 23:37

Are you sure you haven't taken two out and they are stuck together and looking like one? I really think you would be able to see if there was one still in the eye.

Do you pinch out the lens by touching it? Perhaps try squeezing your eyelids together from the outside ( one finger horizontally on each lid) and see if anything pops out, less likely to damage you eye that way.

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2013 23:38

tomorrow go to your opticians - they can easily see if there is a lens left in. They will stain your eye to check - easy, non painful.

dont poke or scrape anymore tonight - it wont hurt if there is a lens in there to be left for just one night - but go see your optom tomorrow - when i worked in eyes our optom did this all the time and didnt charge.

dont poke or prod anymore. see optom in morning.

Original poster
recall · 26/02/2013 23:42

Thank you for your suggestions. might try drops to wet it a bit, its driving me fucking mad

OP posts:
Izzybuzzybuzzybees · 26/02/2013 23:42

Can you not tell if its in or out with your level of vision in that eye? Surely if you have a lens in if you close the other eye you can either see clearly or not? That's how I'd know of I still had one in. Have had a few mornings I thought I'd taken lens out and thought my vision had improved overnight!

Original poster
recall · 26/02/2013 23:43

well, it feels very blurred, like i haven't got one in, but it feels too blurred

OP posts:
lovelychops · 26/02/2013 23:45

This has happened to me. It's vile but if you leave it and try to go to sleep it may dislodge itself during the night. This is what happened to me, it was a bit gross but in the middle of the night it kind of 'worked its way' from behind my eyeball and came poking from under my eyelid folded in half. Good luck it's really unpleasant. Go to opticians tomorrow if it doesn't sort itself out.

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2013 23:46

you could always nip to minor injuries they will also stain your eye to check and look under lid etc.....shouldnt take long.

if its really bothering - or you might have scratched your eye poking etc....again staining would show that up.

if its hurting now go to minor injuries.
otherwise phone opticians first thing. stop poking it!

Original poster
recall · 26/02/2013 23:48

Grin thanks vicarinatutu

OP posts:
IsItAMonster · 26/02/2013 23:48

Also, the lens can scrunch up in the corner or side of our your eye so you cant see properly either way. I second the letting your eyes moisten and rubbing over/moving your closed eyelid.

I burst a blood vessel in my eye trying to get a lens out, went to the optician who told me the les was already out and i'd just done myself a mischief for no good reason!

IsItAMonster · 26/02/2013 23:48

Lens, not les...

Original poster
recall · 26/02/2013 23:49

bugger , think i might go to the walk in centre

OP posts:
IsItAMonster · 26/02/2013 23:51

You dont need to drive do you?

Shaky · 26/02/2013 23:52

This is making my eyes itch.

I have only just started wearing contacts and it takes about20 minutes to get them in.

I hope you get it out soon Thanks

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2013 23:52

nip in if your are worried, im betting you have just overpoked your eye! but go and get it checked if worried

[[http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003845.htm how fluorescein works....

Princesspond · 26/02/2013 23:53

I've broken one before and had this problem on one occasion left it overnight and it worked its way to the corner of my eye. But recently I've found that putting another one in and leaving for a bit helps, each time when I've taken out the new one the broken one has come out attached to it.

CatsCantFlyFast · 26/02/2013 23:56

They are soft lenses?? If so, if its on the front of your eye you should be able to test your finger on your eye without discomfort (in which case its there and you will be able To get it out as normal once your eye has calmed down a bit). Otherwise it could be that your eye is inflamed, or more likely, that's its trapped below your lid. As others have said, sleep on it and you will likely find its gone or easy to remove in the morning. Try not to worry. If it is still in in the morning your eye will feel very very dry so don't try to get it out until it has had chance to moisten a bit

CatsCantFlyFast · 26/02/2013 23:56

rest not test

tigerdriverII · 26/02/2013 23:59

Never happened to me but has happened a few times to DH. I have always been able to get the lens out of his eye but he couldn't do it himself, so if you could wake someone up, or they will be up early tomorrow, that woud be good. One thing that helped him (me) was him rolling his eye as far north south east and west as possible, it probably stimulated some moisture, but did help me spot the lens and get it out. Are these the daily ones? They tend to be a bit blu-er than your eye, so you can spot them under a strong light. On the other hand you might just have got a bit if grease in your eye- I sometimes find that I have to fiddle about a bit in the morning (ESP at the weekend) to work out if I got rid if the lens the night before.

SaggyOldClothCatpuss · 27/02/2013 00:05

If you look closely in the mirror and cant identify the edge of the lens its probably not in there. If you are really sure that it is in there, you need to go somewhere and get it looked at now. Its not a good idea to take risks with your eyeballs.
Dont keep worrying your eye, you will do yourself a mischief. I once spent ten minutes trying to get a lens out, turned out it wasnt in there and Id been pinching the surface of my eye and tugging!

Original poster
recall · 27/02/2013 00:12

thanks for your brilliant ideas. It is calming down a bit now. can't goto walk in centre cos i have to drive. think i will sleep on it and hope for the best.

You are lovely !

OP posts:
GinAndaDashOfLime · 27/02/2013 00:23

This happened to me and I rang NHS direct who gave me two ideas (both gave non lens wearing DH the heebie jeebies!):

  1. Get someone to suck it out with a straw (don't let straw touch your eyeball!!)
  2. Get someone to .. Wait for it ... LICK it out!!!
This works apparently because a tongue is soft yet precise Blush and saliva is a natural antiseptic Guess which I did? Number 2 and it worked a treat!! DH never forgiven me though ..
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 27/02/2013 00:24

I've done this a few times and every time I was wrong and had already taken them out and just forgot. Hmm

Hope you wake up and realise you've done the same. :)

Actually... IF there is a lens still in there the last thing you should do is go to sleep with it in (unless it's a night and day lens), this will dry it up more and it could then end up properly stuck to your eye and infected.