Adjusting to New Contacts: Tips for Success and When to Call the Eye Doctor for Help   (2024)

FAQs

How long should it take for eyes to adjust to new contacts? ›

Before you leave your eye care practitioner's office, he or she will give you instructions for use and care of your new contacts. It can take between 10 to 12 days to fully adjust to your lenses.

It normally takes 2-3 days for your eyes to adjust to a new prescription. In some cases, you may notice slight vision blurriness for up to two weeks while your eyes get used to your shiny new lenses. This adjustment period is based on many factors and is ultimately unique for each person.

Limit your contact wear to a few hours a day until your eyes adjust to the lenses. If you notice that your eyes are dry or irritated, use some drops or switch out your contacts for glasses to let your eyes rest.

New Prescription

Wearing contact lenses for the first time or getting a new prescription can cause eye strain and blurry vision as your eyes and brain adjust. It may take 2 weeks to feel comfortable wearing a new prescription.

Eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma will cloud your vision. Eye infections such as conjunctivitis, or pink eye, can also irritate your eye and cause the blur. If the cloudiness persists even after changing or removing your contacts, you should visit your eye doctor immediately.

1) Blurred Vision

Stare straight ahead with the other eye. Is your vision hazy or blurred? Repeat with the other eye. A cloudy or blurred vision in one eye, while the other is closed is a sure sign that the power of your glasses or lenses is incorrect.

Discomfort: Burning, stinginging or itching eyes may mean you have a contact lens prescription that is off. Check to see whether your lenses are clean. If that's not the case, be sure to consult with your optometrist. Impaired Vision: Reduced sharpness or blurriness can be signs that you need a new prescription.

One of the main reasons why contact intolerance develops for people is because they aren't using them ideally. Switching wear schedules, wearing them less often, and taking them out at home are all options that can help. Even just switching to a new pair of lenses could solve many of your problems.

Just like your eyes were used to your outdated prescription, your new prescription will take some getting used to. Initially you may feel like your vision is a little blurry or strained; this is not however an indication that your eye doctor gave you the wrong prescription.

Is it normal for contacts to be uncomfortable at first? ›

Contact lenses sometimes cause mild eye irritation during the first few days of use as you get used to the new sensation. You may feel uncomfortable that there is something in your eye or notice when your contact lenses begin to dry out. After a day or two, these symptoms typically go away.

Your lenses are not properly fitted

If you always feel as if you have something in your eye, improper lens fit could be the problem. Fitting issues are a common culprit, especially in instances when the patient is only having problems with discomfort in one eye.

With many types of contacts, especially soft contact lenses, oxygen does not pass as freely to the eye as it needs to. If the eyes are starved of oxygen for too long, such as overnight, they can become dry. Dry contacts can result in cloudy or blurred vision.

There are lots of different kinds of eye drops, which can be used to treat many different conditions. Eye drops can be used to treat allergies, dry eyes, and can even be prescribed for conditions such as glaucoma. If you wear contacts you may be wondering if you can use eye drops. The answer: you can.

DAY 1: Exciting! You can try on your new lenses, but wear them no longer than 2-4 HOURS. DAY 2: Experiment! If you are comfortable, try extending wearing time to 4-6 HOURS.

Blurry lenses are also a common occurrence with dry eyes. To test if dry eyes are the culprit, all you need to do is blink. If your vision improves a little bit, then dry eyes are causing blurriness in your lenses. We recommend using rewetting drops or artificial tears to rehydrate your contact lenses.

This phenomenon is known as aniseikonia. Aniseikonia is a perception of different image size when either switching from contact lenses to glasses, or even between a person's two eyes with glasses, if there is a big enough prescription difference between them.

There are several reasons why you may experience eye irritation from your contacts. You may be wearing poorly fitted lenses, suffering from allergies, or experiencing dry eyes. Knowing the reason for the discomfort can help you alleviate the pain more quickly.

Holding your eyelids openwith the index finger and thumb of your non-dominant hand, look straight ahead and place the lens over your eye. try to blink your eyes a few times to help the lens set into position correctly. Give the lenses a few minutes to naturally settle into the correct orientation on your eyes.

-3.00 diopters or less is mild. -3.00 to -6.00 diopters is moderate. -6.00 to -9.00 diopters is severe. -9.00 diopters or more is extreme.

What happens if your contact prescription is too weak? ›

Wearing a prescription that is too weak or too strong can cause: Blurry vision. Eyestrain. Fatigue.

Sometimes, your glasses prescription could be wrong due to inaccurate response during your eye exam (especially if you're experiencing eye fatigue). It could be due to human error from an incorrectly written prescription. It could also be because your prescription has changed over time.

Wearing the incorrect vision prescription will not cause vision to worsen, but a person may experience eye strain and headaches as an effect of the wrong prescription.

Another offshoot of contact lens overuse is blurred vision. Instead of helping you see better, your contacts can impair your vision if you use it longer than you should. This is caused by damage to your corneas and is often accompanied by sensitivity to bright lights.

As you age, this lens becomes thicker, harder and less flexible. If you're over 40 and feel like you need to hold menus and newspapers further away to help your eyes focus, you probably have presbyopia.

One of the leading causes of blurry contact is dirty lenses from protein buildup. Wearing contacts for longer than is recommended can lead to protein deposits on the lenses. These deposits can blur your vision and possibly lead to further eye health problems.

Why do I get blurry vision when I wear my contacts? The most common reasons for blurry vision with contacts are an outdated prescription, a new prescription you haven't adjusted to yet, wearing your contacts for too long, contacts that don't fit correctly, and allergies.

There are many reasons that your eyes might reject your contacts. Your eyes can develop an intolerance to contact lens fluid, bacteria from unclean contacts, or even the material of the lenses themselves. Some common causes of contact lens intolerance include: Improper use, storage, or cleaning.

Most drops that are made for use with contact lenses will have the word “contacts” right on the front of the label. These drops are designed specifically to lubricate the eye and lens surface to make your wearing experience more comfortable. You can use these drops as frequently as you wish.

What is the white fog on my contact lens? ›

Protein buildup on contact lenses is a common problem with both soft and hard contact lenses. This buildup can usually be seen in the form of white or cloudy marks on the surface of the contact lens. Protein buildup on your contact lenses can cause both blurred vision and discomfort.

If you sleep with your contacts in, you may dry out your eyes or worse — risk infection, corneal ulcers or an inflammatory reaction known as contact lens-induced acute red eye (CLARE). When you're in any type of water, do not wear your contacts. This includes showers, hot tubs, pools, lakes, rivers and the ocean.

37. Does monthly contact lens mean 30 wears? Monthly disposable contact lenses should be thrown away precisely 30 days after opening the blister pack, regardless of the number of times you have worn them.

On average, many eye care professionals begin to encourage contact lens wear between the ages of 11 and 14. Not everyone enjoys wearing contacts, but it's a good idea to let children try.

Contact lenses sometimes cause mild eye irritation during the first few days of use as you get used to the new sensation. You may feel uncomfortable that there is something in your eye or notice when your contact lenses begin to dry out. After a day or two, these symptoms typically go away.

If you always feel as if you have something in your eye, improper lens fit could be the problem. Fitting issues are a common culprit, especially in instances when the patient is only having problems with discomfort in one eye. It's possible that one lens might fit right, but the other might be a bit off.

Though they won't correct your vision in the way that they are designed to, putting your lenses on inside out will not necessarily make your vision blurry. Rather, because the lens is unable to adhere well to the surface of your eyes, they are more likely to shift in and out of place, causing your vision to blur.

Change in vision: With age, your eyes change, and you may experience blurry vision while wearing contacts as a result. If you wear contacts, you should have an eye exam every year to be certain your prescription is working. If you experience drastic changes in vision clarity, see your eye doctor immediately.

The biggest potential problem is a faulty prescription, because your eyes will not adjust to your new glasses. Errors can occur during your eye examination, where the optometrist interpretes your answers about what you can and can't see.

Are glasses prescriptions and contact lens prescriptions the same? A glasses prescription is not the same as a contact lens prescription. Glasses sit slightly away from your eyes and contact lenses sit directly over your eye, so two different tests and measurements are required.

How long does it take to get used to contacts? ›

While contact lenses can be an attractive alternative to wearing glasses because they don't change your appearance, contacts do also require a bit of an adjustment period. Most professionals will tell you that you can expect it to take as long as two weeks to get adjusted to your new lenses.

There are many reasons that your eyes might reject your contacts. Your eyes can develop an intolerance to contact lens fluid, bacteria from unclean contacts, or even the material of the lenses themselves. Some common causes of contact lens intolerance include: Improper use, storage, or cleaning.