Question:
As a best-practice rule of thumb, should contact lens users who are experiencing irritation, infection or an eye injury always remove the lens? I've heard there are cases where the lens can be beneficial.
Answer:
This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many different conditions that can cause irritation. But, as a rule of thumb, it is better to remove the contact lens. Most of the time, the contact lens is the cause of the irritation or somehow related to the irritation. The important problems including infection, tight lens, toxicity from solutions, abrasions, and contact lens tears. These are all conditions where you should remove the lens even if the pain becomes worse with removal. Sometimes yourEye M.D. will insert a contact lens to treat certain ocular problems, but these lenses are different and are not cosmetic lenses. If you have irritation with a contact lens in place, it should be removed, and if the irritation persists you should see your Eye M.D.(ophthalmologist) immediately because this could be a serious problem. 
Answered by:
Ivan Schwab, MD 
