Panic is usually the first thing that hits. You’re standing in front of the bathroom mirror, poking at your cornea, and the lens just... isn't there. Or worse, it’s definitely there, but it feels like it’s fused to your eyeball. It’s an unsettling, scratchy, "get this thing out of me right now" kind of feeling. If you're currently in this situation, take a breath. Your eye is a remarkably resilient organ, and contrary to that one terrifying urban legend your cousin told you in middle school, a contact lens cannot—physically cannot—slip behind your eye and get lost in your brain.
The anatomy of the eye includes a thin membrane called the conjunctiva. This tissue folds back to cover the white part of the eye and lines the inside of your eyelids. It creates a sealed pouch. There is no "back door." The lens is in there somewhere, likely tucked under your upper eyelid or folded into a tiny, irritating corner. Knowing how to get a stuck contact out of the eye is mostly about patience and lubrication rather than brute force.
Why Do Contact Lenses Even Get Stuck?
Usually, it's because the lens dried out. If you’ve ever fallen asleep in your lenses—something the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) strongly advises against—the moisture balance of the lens gets completely disrupted. The lens loses its shape and clings to the corneal surface like a suction cup. Sometimes, it’s not even dry; it just shifted. A hard rub of the eye can slide the lens far up into the "fornix," which is the deep pocket under the lid.
There's also the "phantom lens" phenomenon. This happens when the lens has actually fallen out, but because you poked your eye so much trying to find it, the cornea is now scratched. A corneal abrasion feels exactly like a stuck contact lens. It's frustratingly deceptive.
The Preparation Phase (Do Not Skip This)
Before you go back to the mirror, wash your hands. Use a mild soap that doesn't have heavy perfumes or oils. If you use soap with lotion in it, you’re just going to smear a film across your eye, making the lens even harder to grab. Dry your hands with a lint-free towel. Honestly, paper towels are often better than fancy bathroom towels because they don't leave those tiny fibers behind.
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Dealing With a Dry, Suctioned Lens
If the lens is centered on your eye but won't budge, it’s likely dehydrated. This is common with soft lenses. Never, ever try to peel a dry lens off your cornea. You risk taking a layer of the epithelium (the eye's surface) with it.
Start with saline. Not tap water. Tap water is a nightmare for eyes because it can harbor Acanthamoeba, a parasite that causes sight-threatening infections. Use sterile saline solution or rewetting drops specifically made for contacts. Flood the eye. Blink a lot. Close your eye and gently massage your eyelid in a circular motion. You want to encourage the tear film to get underneath the edges of the lens.
Give it time. Sometimes it takes five or ten minutes of repeated soaking to get the lens to float again. You’ll know it’s working when you see the lens move slightly when you blink. Once it's mobile, pinch it out as you normally would.
When the Lens is Folded Under the Eyelid
This is the trickier scenario. If you can't see the lens, look in the opposite direction of where you feel the irritation. If it feels like it's under your top lid, look down. If it's tucked in the bottom, look up.
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- Flip the lid. If the lens is really stuck deep under the upper lid, you might need to gently evert the eyelid. This sounds gross, but it's effective. Place a Q-tip horizontally against the outside of your upper lid, hold your lashes, and gently pull the lid up and over the Q-tip.
- Use the "Massaging" technique. Close your eye and, through the lid, use your finger to gently push the lens toward the center of your eye. You’re basically trying to guide it back onto the cornea so you can see it.
- The "Blink and Flush" method. Fill a small eyecup with sterile saline, tilt your head back, and blink rapidly into the liquid. The mechanical action of the water often dislodges a lens that’s folded in half.
Hard Lenses vs. Soft Lenses: A Different Strategy
If you wear Gas Permeable (GP) or "hard" lenses, the "pinch" method is a no-go. Hard lenses are smaller and don't dry out in the same way, but they can act like a literal suction cup if they shift onto the white of the eye (the sclera).
For a hard lens, use a suction cup removal tool if you have one. These are tiny rubber plungers designed for this exact purpose. If you don't have one, do not use your fingernails. Instead, press your finger against the edge of the lens to break the suction. This should cause the lens to pop up, allowing you to slide it back to the center or remove it.
Recognizing the Signs of a Scratched Cornea
If you’ve tried everything and you still feel like something is in there, stop. Seriously. If you’ve flushed the eye for 20 minutes and can’t see a lens, there’s a high probability the lens is gone and you’re now feeling a corneal abrasion.
Common symptoms of an abrasion:
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- Extreme light sensitivity (photophobia).
- Constant watering.
- Redness that doesn't go away after 30 minutes.
- A "gritty" feeling that persists even after flushing.
In this case, the more you poke at it, the worse the damage becomes. Dr. Glaucomflecken (a popular ophthalmologist online, for those who follow medical social media) often points out that "foreign body sensation" is one of the most common reasons for ER visits that could have been handled by an optometrist. If you suspect an abrasion, you need an antibiotic drop to prevent infection while the eye heals.
When to Call the Professional
You aren't "failing" if you can't get it out. Sometimes the lens is tucked so far back into the conjunctival fornix that you simply can't reach it yourself.
Call an optometrist or an ophthalmologist if:
- The eye is turning deep red.
- You have blurred vision that doesn't clear up after blinking.
- You feel sharp, stabbing pain.
- You suspect the lens has torn and a fragment is still stuck.
Most eye doctors will squeeze you in for an emergency "foreign body removal" appointment. They have a slit lamp—a high-powered microscope—that lets them see exactly where the lens is hiding. They can also use a yellow dye called fluorescein to highlight any scratches on your eye.
Immediate Next Steps
Once the lens is finally out, don't just put a new one in. Your eye needs a "lens-free" period to recover from the stress.
- Wear your glasses. Give it at least 24 hours. If your eye is red, wait until the redness is completely gone.
- Use preservative-free artificial tears. These help soothe the surface and maintain the moisture barrier.
- Dump the old lens. Even if it looks fine, if it was stuck, it might have protein buildup or a microscopic tear that will cause it to get stuck again.
- Check your habits. Are you using the right solution? Are you replacing your case every three months? Small changes prevent the "stuck lens" panic from happening again.
Understanding how to get a stuck contact out of the eye is a fundamental skill for any contact wearer. It’s mostly about staying calm and using enough lubrication to let physics do the work for you. If the lens doesn't come out after a few tries with saline, leave it alone and see a professional. Your sight is worth the trip to the clinic.