My contact lenses BURN when I put them on?

Question

I got contact lenses yesterday and when I put them on after they've been in the solution (Renu) it really burns and stings. After they've been in for a while it gets much better and I barely feel them but it still stings every now and then as if I got shampoo in my eyes. They feel very sensitive.

Answer 1

Try washing the lenses with water before you put them on your eyes.

Answer 2

If there is so much as one minuscule particle of dust on it, it will HURT HURT HURT like crazy. Make sure you wash your hands EVERY TIME right before you put them in, and rinse the contact in the solution (not water!) before you put it in. I know they've been sitting in it all night, but I have found that careful rinsing helps a lot. Also, visually inspect it after you rinse it. Sometimes you can see a piece of dust right on it. So rinse it again. The solution is not that expensive, and it sure feels a lot better when there is nothing on them. You don't want to scratch your cornea - my aunt did that, and it HURTS. She wasn't cleaning them properly and paid the price. Rinse well every time, and it won't hurt. Sometimes if you get a piece of dust in between the contact and the cornea the only way to get it out is to remove the contact and rinse it off.

I use Renu Multi-Purpose solution and have never had any problems, but others are recommending that you switch - it certainly is worth a try if rinsing well doesn't help. I had a friend who got contacts but couldn't wear them because the air was just too dry where she worked. They were very uncomfortable. Perhaps you could try some rewetting drops, if they seem dry.

Answer 3

I use Cibavision's disinfectant cup, which means that I fill this tiny cup with a cleaning/disinfectant solution. After 6 hours, the solution neutralizes. However, when I put my contacts in after only, say 5 hours, the disinfectant hasn't neutralized so boy, do my contacts sting. I usually soak them in saline for five to ten minutes before putting them in. That really helps.

I think maybe that is what is happening in your case. The solution hasn't had time to neutralize. Definitely rinse out the case, fill it with saline, and soak those lenses! If that still doesn't work, maybe try switching to a different solution.

Answer 4

RENU is bad!! I remember one time I saw on the news that Renu was stinging A LOT of people's eyes. It was back then, but I can see that it's still doing it to your eyes. Change your solution to OPTI-FREE. That's what I did when I heard the news.

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

You may have a sensitivity to this solution, you may have soap on your fingers, you may have a poor fit, you may have a corneal irritation, or you may just need more time to adjust. I would allow your eyes to adapt for about a week and then see if this goes away. Your cornea should adapt over time. It is also possible the contact lens is not fitting well. You should have a contact lens follow-up with your doctor as part of the standard of care. If this problem is not better by then, he or she can check the fit, check your cornea, and suggest the best possible solution to your problem (perhaps a new contact lens solution) or new contact lens type or brand. Good luck.

Answer 6

You need to switch your contact solution. I made the same mistake, and it was horrible. There are solutions out there that are made for ONLY soaking overnight with some sort of special chemical, and then you have to rinse them with a different solution. Get yourself some opti-free express. It's one solution, no rubbing, and you can even drop it directly into your eye like eye drops and it won't burn at all.

Answer 7

For the first few days, do not wear the lenses for more than 4 hours.
The sting will go off when you get used to wearing the new lenses.
It happened to a colleague of mine who suffered from tears and red eyes on the very first day. She went back to the shop just to check if the lenses were cracked. They were not.........she was just not used to them.
Now, she has no sting problems, no tears....... :)

Answer 8

You need to switch solution. My contacts did that and it hurts and is bad for your eyes. Firast try rinsing them with fresh solution before putting them in and always wash your hands first. I think you should switch solutions. I use "Opti free" or "Opti 1" and they work great. Never leave them in if they burn. That's not a normal thing.

Answer 9

You might want to use another solution. If your eyes are dried maybe use some eye drops. Make sure you wash your hands and when you are putting solution rub it a little.

Answer 10

try using a different brand. i'd recommend Opti-free. and do not soak it in water! i've used Opti forever and used Renu's rewetting drops once and it burned like jalapenos in my eyes.