How to Remove a Contact From a Dry Eye

Removing a contact lens from a dry eye can be very tricky and takes extra care. It is possible to scratch your eye when removing a lens even when your eye isn't dry, but when a contact feels stuck to the cornea or there aren't enough tears, there is more opportunity to damage your eye.

Things You'll Need

• Contact lens rewetting drops
• Saline solution

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash hands thoroughly. You should always use clean hands when removing a contact lens from your eye.

• 2

  Inspect your eye closely in a mirror to make sure the lens is actually on the eye. This may sound silly but it is possible for a lens to fall out or be rubbed out of the eye and you may not even know it is gone. A dry eye can give false sensations that a contact is still in place.

• 3

  Use a contact lens eyedrop, also called rewetting drops, to lubricate your eyes and rewet your lenses. Place 4 or 5 drops into the dry eye and blink several times to distribute the solution on the lens and the surface of the cornea. If you do not feel the lens loosening up, repeat the drops several times until you feel the lens is able to move a little on the eye.

• 4

  Touch the lens with a clean finger, very gently, to see if the contact moves a little on the eye. If the lens can move, it is safe to remove your contact the way you normally do. If the lens is still stuck, repeat with more drops until the lens moves a little.

• 5

  Remove the lens from your eye. If you feel any resistance at all, as if the lens is stuck, stop immediately.