How to deal with contact lens allergy symptoms

Contact lens allergy symptoms typically occur when your contact lenses irritate the outer surface of your eye. They can also occur when the proteins that make up your natural eye secretions bind to the surface of your contact lenses, causing eye irritation. Here's what to do if you think you're suffering from an allergy.

Most people are able to use contact lenses without issue. However, in some people, the immune system overreacts to the presence of contact lenses, causing the surface of the eye to become red, itchy and uncomfortable.

Factors that may contribute to the development of contact lens allergy symptoms include:

• Wearing extended-wear lenses
• Sleeping in contact lenses
• Ignoring the cleaning and storage guidelines provided by contact lens manufacturers

If you think you may be suffering from a contact lens allergy, see your eye doctor. He or she will examine your eyes and determine whether your contact lenses are causing your symptoms. It may be that your contact lens solution is the cause of your problem.

If your contact lenses are the problem, you may need to:

• Change the type of contact lenses you wear.
• Decrease the amount of time you wear your contact lenses.
• Clean your lenses properly to remove any debris that may build up on your lenses and trigger your allergy.
• If your eye doctor determines that your contact lens solution may be causing your symptoms, he or she may advise you to try preservative-free cleaning products.
• If this does not work for you or is not appropriate, you may wish to consider switching to daily disposable lenses to avoid the build-up of the cleaning substances that can irritate your eyes.

If these self-care measures do not help improve your symptoms, your eye doctor may recommend mild steroid medications to reduce your immune system's response to your contact lenses.

If prescription medications do not work for you or you require a drug-free treatment, you may wish to consider wearing eyeglasses instead of your contact lenses for a few weeks.

Forgoing contact lens wear for several weeks or months may help alleviate and control your contact lens allergy symptoms.