Lenses out, then an eye doctor
Pink eye (conjunctivitis) is swelling and redness of the inside of the eyelid and the white of the eye. The common symptoms are red or pink eyes, itching or burning, watery eyes, discharge, and crusting along the lids. If you wear contact lenses, the lenses may feel uncomfortable or not stay in place.[1]
Most pink eye in people who don’t wear lenses gets better on its own. But the National Eye Institute’s list of reasons to see a doctor includes having pink eye symptoms while wearing contacts.[1] The FDA’s advice for any sign of eye irritation or infection is the same: remove your lenses, don’t put them back in, and contact your eye care professional, because you can’t judge how serious a problem is yourself.[2]
That matters with a scleral lens. Redness and discharge can be pink eye, an allergy, irritation from a product, or a problem with the cornea under the lens. Only an exam tells them apart.
Keep the lenses in their case and bring them. The FDA notes your eye doctor may want to examine them.[2]
Don’t reach for old drops
Some wearers keep leftover antibiotic or steroid drops from an earlier infection and use them when an eye turns red. Please don’t. Different causes need different treatments, and treating it yourself can hide a problem until it’s more serious. The FDA advises asking your eye care professional before using any eye medicine.[3] See steroid and antibiotic drops with scleral lenses.
Your lenses, cases and tools
The National Eye Institute’s general advice after pink eye is to throw away contact lenses, solution and cases you used while you had it, and makeup too.[1] With custom scleral lenses, that’s a conversation to have with your eye doctor or fitter rather than a step to take on your own. Here’s what wearers commonly report being told:
Do
- Ask your eye doctor or fitter how to disinfect your lenses before reuse.
- Replace flat cases, plungers and removal tools used during the infection.
- Start a fresh bottle of disinfecting solution and new saline.
- Replace eye makeup and brushes you used while infected.
Don’t
- Put the lenses back in before your doctor clears you.
- Reuse opened saline vials or solution from before the infection.
- Share towels, pillowcases or makeup.
- Use leftover prescription drops without asking.
Wearers who use a hydrogen peroxide system were often told peroxide disinfection is suitable for scleral lenses after an infection, while flat cases and tools should be replaced. That’s your fitter’s call, so check with them. See cleaning and disinfecting and lens cases.
Stopping it from spreading
Viral and bacterial pink eye spread easily. The National Eye Institute advises washing your hands often, especially after touching your eyes or using drops, not touching or rubbing your eyes, and not sharing pillows, towels, makeup or glasses.[1] For scleral wearers, that also means:
- Wash and dry your hands before and after touching each eye.
- If your doctor allows a lens in the unaffected eye, handle that eye first, with freshly washed hands.
- Keep your lens station clean and away from the bathroom sink where others wash.
Getting back into lenses
Wearers generally go back to their lenses after pink eye. The usual pattern is: finish treatment, get the all-clear from the eye doctor, restart with disinfected lenses and new tools, and build back up if the eye still feels a little tender. If redness, discharge or discomfort comes back after restarting, stop again and call.
If you get repeated bouts of red, itchy, bumpy eyelids, ask your eye doctor to check under your upper lid for giant papillary conjunctivitis, which some lens wearers develop and which is managed differently.
What wearers say
- Glasses days are hard. Wearers who don’t see well in glasses find time out of lenses difficult, but most say it was worth waiting for clearance.
- Replacing tools is the norm. Most wearers report being told to replace cases, plungers and removal tools after any eye infection.
- Recurrence is frustrating. A few wearers had infections come back and found it was linked to a reused case or tool, or to a different condition altogether, such as a herpes eye infection.
What to ask your eye doctor
- What kind of pink eye is this, and is it contagious?
- When can I go back into my lenses, and do I need a check first?
- How should I disinfect my lenses? Which cases and tools should I replace?
- Can I wear a lens in my other eye in the meantime?
- Can my prescription drops be used with my lenses later, or only with them out?
Common questions
My symptoms are gone. Can I go back into my lenses?
Check with your eye doctor first. Wearers are consistently advised to finish any prescribed treatment and wait for their doctor to say the infection has cleared, then restart with clean or replaced cases and tools.
Do I have to throw away my scleral lenses?
The National Eye Institute's general advice is to throw away contact lenses, solution and cases used while you had pink eye. Scleral lenses are custom and expensive, so ask your eye doctor or fitter what applies to you. Many wearers were told to disinfect the lenses thoroughly and replace the flat cases, plungers and other accessories.
Can I wear the lens in my good eye?
Ask your eye doctor. Pink eye can spread to the other eye, and handling one lens with hands that have touched the infected eye is a risk. If your doctor agrees, wash your hands thoroughly and handle the healthy eye first.
Is it allergies or an infection?
The symptoms can be very similar, which is why it needs an eye doctor's look. Allergic pink eye and infectious pink eye share symptoms such as redness, itching and watery eyes, and you can't reliably tell them apart yourself.