Eye health resource
Is It Normal for Contact Lenses to Burn?
Contact lenses should not keep burning. Learn common causes of irritation, when to remove your lenses, and which warning signs need prompt eye care.
Reviewed for accuracy by Justin Bazan, OD on .
Persistent burning is not something to push through while wearing contact lenses. A brief sting from soap residue, a particle, or an incompatible product can happen, but a lens that continues to burn should be removed.
Burning can come from dryness, lens deposits, solution sensitivity, allergy, a damaged or poorly fitting lens, or an eye-surface problem. It can also be a warning sign of keratitis or another contact-lens-related complication.
What Should I Do If My Contact Lens Burns?
Remove the lens promptly. Do not keep wearing it to see whether the eye “gets used to it.”
If the lens is a daily disposable, discard it rather than cleaning and reinserting it. If it is a reusable lens and the eye otherwise feels normal after removal, follow the care instructions prescribed for that lens before deciding when to resume wear.
Do not reinsert a contact lens into an eye that remains red, painful, light-sensitive, unusually watery, has discharge, or has blurred vision. Those symptoms need eye-care advice and may require prompt examination.
Common Reasons Contacts Can Burn
Soap, Lotion, Sanitizer, or Cosmetic Residue
Residue on the hands can transfer to a lens during insertion. Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them completely with a clean lint-free towel before handling lenses.
Dry Eye or an Unstable Tear Film
A dry or irritated ocular surface can make contact lenses much less comfortable. Symptoms may worsen later in the day, in dry environments, or during prolonged screen use.
A contact lens evaluation can help determine whether a different material, fit, design, or wearing schedule would be more comfortable. Persistent dry-eye symptoms may also need separate evaluation and treatment.
Allergy
Seasonal allergens can collect on the ocular surface and on contact lenses. Some patients do better with shorter wearing time, allergy treatment, or a fresh daily disposable lens during allergy season, but the best approach depends on the individual eye.
Contact Lens Solution Sensitivity
Some reusable-lens wearers are sensitive to ingredients in a particular care solution. Use only a disinfecting system compatible with your lenses and recommended for your eyes. Never “top off” old solution in the case with fresh solution.
Deposits or Lens Damage
Reusable lenses can accumulate deposits, and any lens can become torn, chipped, inverted, or contaminated. A visibly damaged lens should not be worn.
Fit or Wearing Schedule
Comfort depends on lens material, shape, prescription, fit, tear film, replacement schedule, and wearing habits. The issue is not whether a lens is “low quality.” Even an excellent lens can be uncomfortable if it is not appropriate for that person's eye.
Could Burning Mean an Eye Infection?
Yes. Contact-lens wear is a risk factor for microbial keratitis, an infection of the cornea. Warning symptoms can include:
- increasing eye pain
- significant redness
- light sensitivity
- sudden or persistent blurred vision
- unusual tearing or discharge
If you develop those symptoms, remove the lenses and contact an eye-care professional promptly. Do not resume contact-lens wear until you have been advised that it is safe.
What About a Corneal Abrasion?
A scratch on the cornea can also cause pain, tearing, light sensitivity, and the sensation that something is stuck in the eye. Contact-lens wear can aggravate an already irritated surface, so remove the lens rather than attempting to wear through the discomfort.
How Can I Reduce the Chance of Contact-Lens Problems?
- Wash and dry your hands before handling lenses.
- Use lenses only for the prescribed replacement schedule.
- Never use tap water or saliva to clean or store lenses.
- Use fresh disinfecting solution for reusable lenses and care for the case as directed.
- Do not sleep in lenses unless the exact lens is approved for overnight wear and your eye doctor has prescribed that schedule.
- Carry backup glasses in case you need to remove your contacts.
When Should I Schedule a Contact Lens Visit?
If lenses repeatedly burn, dry out, become blurry, or feel uncomfortable, a fitting problem or ocular-surface issue may be present even if there is no infection.
Park Slope Eye fits routine and more complex contact lenses, including toric, multifocal, corneal GP/RGP, scleral, and Ortho-K lenses when appropriate. Book an appointment for a contact lens evaluation rather than repeatedly trying to tolerate a lens that burns.
Originally published . Substantially updated .