Can contact lenses covered in shower gel harm your eye?
NOV 06, 2012
Question:
I put my contacts in yesterday and it seems some of my shower gel from inside my travel case seeped into contact case. My left contact caused a burning sensation and redness appeared immediately. I removed the contacts and later that day have noticed a very fuzzy/blurring is now in that eye. It is still here this morning and not sure if my eye is just irritated or more damage is happening.
Answer:
Put on your glasses. If the vision is blurred in that eye, it has suffered damage and you should see an ophthalmologist right away. If there is pain or redness, even if the vision is good, also see an ophthalmologist. If you do not have one, call your insurance carrier (especially if you are in an HMO or PPO) to find someone in your plan. You can also call the local medical society or visit the closest emergency room for a referral (they probably have a specialist on call). Drop-in clinics and emergency rooms will see you, and so will some GPs and pediatricians, but they are not eye specialists. Delay in care may turn a bad situation into a disaster. Throw away the case and use fresh lenses when the ophthalmologist says it is safe.