What happens if I cry with my contact lenses in? (2024)

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By Allie Johnson

What happens if I cry with my contact lenses in? (1)

Whether it’s a bad breakup, an onion you’re chopping for dinner or a tearjerker of a movie, it’s likely that something will trigger tears while you’re wearing your contacts.

Tears are essential for keeping your eyes moist and allowing you to wear your contact lenses comfortably every day. But extra tears caused by certain situations can leave deposits on your lenses that blur your vision.

Crying also can cause eye irritation, which can be made worse by contacts.

There are three types of tears:

  • Basal tears lubricate and protect your eyes from dirt, dust and debris at all times.

  • Reflex tears wash away irritants such as onion fumes or smoke.

  • Emotional tears flow in response to joy, sadness and other feelings.

While there are always basal tears in your eyes, both reflex tears and emotional tears are released in larger quantities that can affect your contact lenses.

RUNNING OUT OF CONTACTS? Find an optical store near you or shop online.

What happens when you cry with your contacts in, step by step

Step 1: Tears are produced in the tear glands, or lacrimal glands, located just above each eyeball. These glands aren’t affected by your contact lenses, which sit on the surface of your cornea.

Step 2: The tears wash down over your eyes and get distributed across your eyeballs (and your contact lenses) as you blink. The extra moisture can affect the surface tension of your eyes and cause your lenses to move around slightly more than they would if your eyes were dry.

Step 3: The tears drain into puncta (tiny holes in the corners of your eyelids), go through a drainage system and flow down the back of your nose and throat. If your eyes produce a lot of tears, they may spill down your face.

Will crying make your contacts blurry?

Crying can affect your vision, at least temporarily. The enzymes, lipids and mucus found in tears can leave deposits that stick to your contact lenses and make your vision blurry.

Will crying make your contacts fall out?

Tears will lubricate your contact lenses and allow them to move a little more freely on the surface of the cornea, but should not cause them to pop (or fall) out of your eyes.

Is it bad to cry with contacts in your eyes?

It’s safe to cry with your contacts in as long as you avoid touching your eyes.

Rubbing or wiping one of your eyes could wrinkle or fold your contact lens, dislodge it from the cornea and cause it to get stuck under the upper eyelid.

If you rub, swipe or blot at your eyes with tissues, you could also rip or tear a soft contact lens. Even a tiny rip or tear in a contact lens can cause eye pain, irritation and more tears.

SEE RELATED: How to remove a contact lens that's stuck in your eye

Can you wear contacts after crying?

You can wear contacts after shedding a few tears as long as your eyes don’t feel irritated. However, you should take out your contacts any time your eyes are red and puffy.

So, you may want to clean and disinfect your contacts, and give your eyes a break, after a major crying jag.

How to clean contacts after crying

It’s smart to clean your contacts after you cry with your lenses in your eyes. You want to remove the deposits on the lenses along with any makeup that may have washed into your eyes while you cried.

Whether you wear soft contact lenses or rigid gas permeable contact lenses or hybrid lenses, here’s how to clean your contacts after crying:

Step 1: Wash your hands thoroughly with regular soap and water. Dry them with a clean, lint-free cloth.

Step 2: Take out one contact lens and clean it with the cleaning solution recommended by your eye doctor. Even if you use a “no rub” solution, you should still gently rub the cleaning solution onto the lens.

Step 3: Rinse the lens once, then gently rub and rinse it a second time.

Step 4: Place the lens in a clean case and cover with the disinfection solution recommended by your eye doctor.

Step 5: Complete the same process with your other contact lens and leave both lenses in the solution for the time required to complete the disinfection process.

Crying with contact lenses in is fine, and it likely will happen to almost every contact lens wearer sooner or later.

And if your vision gets blurry or your eyes get red and puffy, clean and disinfect your contacts and give your eyes a rest.Just make sure to avoid rubbing your eyes.

WHEN WAS YOUR LAST EYE EXAM? Find an eye doctor near you and schedule an appointment.

Page published on Friday, January 3, 2020

What happens if I cry with my contact lenses in? (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I cry with my contact lenses in? ›

It's safe to cry with your contacts in as long as you avoid touching your eyes. Rubbing or wiping one of your eyes could wrinkle or fold your contact lens, dislodge it from the cornea and cause it to get stuck under the upper eyelid.

Is it okay to cry with contact lenses on? ›

Crying with contact lenses is completely safe, whether you are crying tears of laughter, sadness or watching a weepy movie, those tears will not damage your contact lenses, although they may dislodge them.

Do contact lenses absorb tears? ›

Although many contact lenses are designed to allow larger amounts of oxygen to permeate the eye, wearers can still experience dry, gritty eyes, especially towards the end of the day. Another cause of contact lens-induced dry eye is the lenses' absorption of tears.

What happens if a contact tears in your eye? ›

The short answer to this question is “no.” Once a contact lens tears or rips, it is no longer safe to continue wearing. The jagged edges along the tear can scratch your eyes, potentially putting you at risk for infection. A torn contact lens is also more likely to pop out, shift out of place, or get stuck in your eye.

Why do my contacts make my eyes cry? ›

Due to the sensitivity of your eyes, ill-fitting lenses can cause serious irritation. If your contacts are too small, then the oxygen flow to and from your eye is restricted. When the lens is too big, it will move when you blink, leading to irritation.

Can I wash my face with contacts in? ›

Do not wash face, shower or swim with contact lenses on. This may result in lost contact lenses. After swimming, wait the recommended times as follows to insert contact lenses: Fresh water – 15 minutes Salt Water – 30 minutes Pool – 2 hours.

Can you shower with contacts in? ›

Should you wear contacts in the shower? Short answer is no, you shouldn't wear contacts in the shower. Contact lenses are like little plastic sponges that absorb what they come in contact with. The tap water in your home can contain microbes that you don't want in your eyes.

Why do my eyes hurt after crying? ›

If you have dry eye, crying can intensify the burning feeling because the tears produced when we cry evaporate quickly, leaving the eyes feeling even drier. Crying also temporarily reduces the existing moisture on the eyes, making dryness more intense.

Are monthly contacts better for dry eyes? ›

Monthly Lenses for Dry Eyes

The monthly contacts enable the eyes to breathe much better as they use less silicone. This is beneficial for people with dry eyes. The lenses let in more oxygen into the eyes, helping improve comfort. To improve effectiveness, use lens solutions that are recommended by the eye doctor.

Will a stuck contact eventually come out? ›

Thau recommends patience. The minutes it takes for the contact to make its way toward the front where you can see it may feel like hours, but it'll happen eventually, with or without you trying.

How common is it to lose a contact in your eye? ›

Can a Contact Lens Get Lost in Your Eye? A contact lens can't truly get “lost” because it can't end up behind your eye—that's impossible. But it is possible for a contact lens to dislodge and move off center, become folded, or end up “lost” under an eyelid.

What does a ripped contact feel like? ›

A ripped or torn contact lens can cause your eye to feel scratchy, dry, and irritated. Contact lenses are designed with smooth edges for comfort. When the torn edges are rubbing against your eye's delicate surface, it can lead to irritation and inflammation.

What is the easiest way to remove contacts? ›

Slide the lens to the white of your eye, especially if you're worried about discomfort. Pulling the lens toward your lower lid can also help lift it off the surface of your eye. If edges of your lens stick together, add a drop of fresh cleaning solution and gently rub until they separate.

What are the cons of contact lenses? ›

Contacts: Cons

They need a lot more care than glasses. You have to clean and store them the right way. You can get serious eye infections if you don't clean your contacts well or don't wash your hands before handling them. If you have high astigmatism, your vision might get blurry when the lenses rotate.

Why do my eyes feel worse without contacts? ›

Most commonly, dry eyes are the cause, but occasionally retained foreign particles, corneal abrasions, nodules and scarring can give a similar feeling.

Why do contacts burn when put in? ›

Redness and burning of the eyes after inserting contact lenses can be due to physical irritation from lenses that do not fit properly or are damaged, allergy to chemicals in the cleaning and storing solutions, sensitivity to broken down tear protein deposits in the lens, swelling of the cornea (the clear window on the ...

Should I wear contact lenses to a funeral? ›

The last thing you want at a funeral is to be distracted by your lost Contact Lens. Also, where there are tears, there will be tissues. Tissue dust is very uncomfortable in the eye, at the best of times, even without Contact Lenses so imagine if the tissue dust gets stuck around the Contact Lens edges.

Do contacts make eye strain worse? ›

Contacts that are too loose, too tight or poorly centred on your eye can also lead to eye strain and blurred vision. Your eye doctor can determine your prescription and measure and examine your eyes to find the best contact lenses for you. Poorly fitting contact lenses also increase the risk of infection.

Why do my glasses fog up when I cry? ›

Glasses Fog Up Because of Condensation

Condensation occurs on eyeglass lenses when water vapor—from your sweat, breath, and ambient humidity—lands on a cold surface, cools, and then changes into tiny drops of liquid, forming a film that you see as fog.

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