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    Question

    Why does one eye water with my scleral lens?

    When only one eye streams, the cause is often something specific to that lens or that eye. Some causes are easy fixes. Others, like a damaged lens or a scratch, aren't something to wear through.

    By the Scleral Lens Team · Last reviewed October 2, 2026 · 2 published sources cited

    The short answer

    Watering in one eye usually means something is irritating that eye: debris or a bubble under the lens, a reaction to the fill, a chipped, warped or swapped lens, a fit problem on that side, or the eye surface itself, such as dry eye, a scratch or an infection. Take the lens out, check it, rinse and refill with fresh saline. If the watering continues, comes back every time, or comes with pain, redness, blur or light sensitivity, leave the lens out and call your eye doctor.

    Key points

    • Excess tearing is on the FDA's list of symptoms that mean remove the lens and call.
    • Check the lens: debris, a bubble, a chip or crack, or the wrong eye.
    • Dry eye is a common cause of watery eyes, oddly enough.
    • Watering that keeps happening in the same eye needs a fit and eye check.
    • Don't wear through persistent one-sided watering.

    Why an eye waters

    Tears keep the eye surface wet and wash away particles. When something irritates the eye, it makes more. MedlinePlus lists common causes of watery eyes including allergies, blepharitis, a blocked tear duct, conjunctivitis, smog, chemicals or wind, something in the eye, a scrape on the eye, infection, and an eyelid turning in or out.[1]

    One of the most common causes is dry eye: when the eye dries out and becomes uncomfortable, it responds by making too many tears.[1] So a watering eye can still be a dry eye.

    With a scleral lens in, add the lens itself to that list.

    Lens causes to check first

    Take the lens out with clean hands and look at it in good light. Wearers commonly find:

    • Debris or a hair under the lens. Rinse the lens, refill with a fresh vial of saline and reinsert.
    • A bubble. A small bubble can make the eye water or burn. See filling solution and air bubbles.
    • A reaction to the fill. Some wearers’ eyes water or sting for a while after insertion with one saline but not another, often linked to buffered or unbuffered fills. Change fill only with your fitter’s agreement. See the solution troubleshooter.
    • Residue from cleaning. Cleaner or disinfecting solution not fully rinsed off can irritate. If you use hydrogen peroxide, make sure it was fully neutralized. See why do my lenses burn?
    • A chip, crack or warp. Run a clean fingertip gently around the edge. A damaged lens can irritate the eye and shouldn’t be worn. See what to do if your lens cracks.
    • The wrong eye. Check the markings. See right and left lenses mixed up.

    Fit and wear causes

    If the lens looks fine and the watering keeps coming back in the same eye, the cause may be how that lens sits:

    • An edge that presses or lifts in one area can irritate the conjunctiva. Look for a red mark or ring there after removal.
    • Overwear. Wearers often notice one eye reddening and watering after a long wear day, and some found a midday removal and refill helped.
    • Change over time. Lenses that were comfortable for a long time can become watery, loose or blurry as they age or as the eye changes.

    These are things your fitter needs to see, ideally late in the day while you’re wearing the lens.

    Eye causes

    If the eye waters with the lens out too, it may be the eye itself: dry eye, allergy, blepharitis, an infection, a scratch from a difficult insertion, or a tear duct problem. MedlinePlus advises contacting your provider for a scratch on the eye, painful red eyes, a lot of discharge, or long-term unexplained tearing.[1]

    What wearers say

    • Most one-eye watering has a simple cause. A rinse and fresh fill, a different saline, or a bubble-free reinsertion solved it for many.
    • Persistent watering is a warning. Wearers who kept wearing a lens through constant watering in one eye sometimes found it was a damaged or warped lens, or an injury to the cornea, and wished they had stopped sooner.
    • Indoor heating and wind make it worse. Several wearers noticed more watering in dry, heated rooms or windy weather.

    What to ask your fitter

    • Could my fill or cleaning products be irritating this eye?
    • Can you check this lens for damage, deposits or a worn coating?
    • Is the edge pressing or lifting anywhere on this side?
    • Should I do a midday removal and refill on long days?
    • Does this eye need a dry eye or tear duct check?

    When to get help right away

    MedlinePlus advises seeking help right away if chemicals get into the eye, if you have severe pain, bleeding or loss of vision, or if you have a severe eye injury.[1] The FDA lists excess tearing among the symptoms of eye irritation or infection that mean you should remove your lenses and contact your eye care professional.[2]

    Common questions

    My eye waters for a few minutes after insertion, then settles. Is that a problem?

    Mention it to your fitter. Wearers often trace short-lived watering after insertion to the fill solution, a tiny bubble, or something on the lens. Trying a fresh vial, a careful rinse, or a different fill your fitter approves often helps.

    Can my lens be in the wrong eye?

    Yes, it happens. Right and left lenses can look identical. A swapped lens can feel and see wrong in both eyes, but some wearers notice it most in one. See our guide to right and left lenses mixed up.

    Could it be my tear duct?

    Possibly. MedlinePlus lists a blocked tear duct among the causes of watery eyes, along with eyelid problems, allergies, and dry eye. Your eye doctor can check, especially if the eye waters with the lens out too.

    The watering only started after years of good wear. What changed?

    Lenses age, warp, chip, and lose their coating, and eyes change too. Wearers whose comfortable lenses became watery, loose or blurry after a long time were usually advised to see their fitter, as the lens may need replacing.

    Keep reading

    Why do my scleral lenses burn when I put them in?

    Take the lens out first. The most common cause wearers find is something left on the lens or your fingers: cleaner, multipurpose solution, soap, or peroxide that wasn't fully neutralized. Next comes the fill saline itself, then technique, then fit and dry eye. If burning continues after the lens is out, or comes with pain, redness, or blurred vision, call your eye doctor today.

    Why are my eyes red with scleral lenses?

    It depends on where the redness is, when it shows up, and whether it's getting better or worse. Wearers often see mild redness early on that fades as they build up wear time. A red ring around the lens edge, a pale band under the edge, or redness that lasts long after removal usually points to the fit. Redness that starts soon after insertion often points to a solution, and itchy redness to allergy. Redness that is getting worse, painful, or comes with discharge or blurred vision means remove the lens and call today.

    My scleral lens cracked or chipped. Can I still wear it?

    No. Don't put a cracked or chipped scleral lens in your eye, even for a few hours. A chip or crack weakens the lens and can scratch your eye or break apart while it's in. Keep the pieces in your case, call your fitter to order a replacement and ask about the warranty, and wear your glasses or a backup lens your fitter has approved until the new one arrives.

    I think I have pink eye. What do I do with my scleral lenses?

    Take your lenses out and see your eye doctor. The National Eye Institute advises contact lens wearers with pink eye symptoms to see a doctor rather than wait it out, because a lens-related infection can look like ordinary pink eye. Don't put the lenses back in until your doctor says the eye has healed, and ask how to disinfect your lenses and whether to replace your case, plunger and other tools so you don't reinfect yourself.

    When a solution isn't working for you

    If a lens burns or stings when it goes in, take it out first and work out what touched it. For slower problems like fog, film, redness, or itching, the fill saline, the storage solution, or a leftover residue can play a part, and wearers often ask their fitter about switching between buffered and unbuffered saline, or from a preserved multipurpose solution to hydrogen peroxide. But fit, dry eye, and allergies cause many of the same symptoms, so change one product at a time, and only with your fitter's agreement.

    Sources

    1. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Watery eyes. Review date October 1, 2025. medlineplus.gov
    2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Contact Lens Risks. Content current as of September 4, 2018. fda.gov

    Last updated October 2, 2026. Found an error or a newer study? Let us know and we'll correct the page.