What to do if You Drop a Contact Lens

They’re slippery sometimes, aren’t they?

Contact lenses are (should be) wet and can very easily slip off your finger or fall while you’re putting them in. Sometimes, they’ll just fall on the bathroom counter, which is no big deal. Just rinse them with contact lens solution and try to put them in again.

A dropped lens can be difficult to find since it’s so light and is very clear. Some contact lens manufacturers tint the lenses slightly so that they’re easier to find. Lenses do cling to about anything but can easily fall down a drain or somewhere it’s hard to get to. The longer you take to find one, the drier it gets, so you need to find your contact lens quickly.

Be very careful picking up a fallen contact lens – especially if it has been there for a little while. It may be brittle and picking one up with your fingers could damage the lens or crack it. The best way to pick up a fallen contact lens is to slip a piece of paper underneath it and then carry over to where you can slide if off the sheet into some saline solution.

Another way to pick up a fallen contact lens is to wet your finger with saline solution and pick it up with your finger by touching your finger to the lens and lifting straight up.

You do not want to use a sharp object like a pair of tweezers to pick up a fallen contact lens.

Let the contact lens soak for a few minutes. It’ll absorb the saline solution and go back to its hydrated, pliable state. After that, use cleaning solution to make sure it’s clean and ready for you eye again. Before putting it back in, inspect it to make sure it’s not cracked or broken. Look it over well.

To prevent losing your contact lens, be sure to pull up the stopper on the sink or put a towel over the sink while you’re putting them in.

When handling contacts, make sure you have clean hands and clean your contacts using cleaning solution. You’ll want to stick with the same brand of solution all the time.

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Tagged as: contact lens care, contact lens cleaning, contact lens cleaning solution, Contact Lenses, Drop a Contact Lens, saline solution