First, let's breathe. You didn't lose it. I know it feels like that thin piece of plastic has embarked on a permanent journey into the dark recesses of your skull, but anatomically, that is literally impossible. Your eye has a built-in safety net called the conjunctiva. This thin, moist lining folds over and connects the inside of your eyelids to the white part of your eye (the sclera). It creates a dead-end pocket. Nothing—not a contact lens, not a rogue eyelash, not a speck of dust—can ever get "behind" your eye and reach your brain. It's just stuck in a fold.
If you are currently poking your cornea with dry fingers, stop. Seriously. Take your hand away from your face.
The sensation of a "lost" lens is usually just the lens being folded or bunched up under your upper eyelid. Sometimes it’s under the lower one, but usually, it's the top. It feels scratchy. It feels like a literal rock. But the more you poke and prod without a plan, the more you risk an abrasion. You’ve got this. We just need to lubricate the area and use a little bit of physics to coax it back to the center.
The Anatomy of a Stuck Lens
Why does this happen? Usually, it's because your eyes are too dry, or you rubbed your eye a little too vigorously while tired. When the eye lacks sufficient moisture, the lens loses its "skating" ability on the tear film and hitches a ride on the eyelid instead.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a displaced lens is one of the most common "emergencies" that isn't actually an emergency. It’s an inconvenience. However, the discomfort is real. When the lens slides up into the superior fornix—that’s the deep pocket under your upper lid—it can stay there for hours or even days if you don't know how to find it. Some people have even gone to the doctor months later only to find a shriveled lens tucked away. You don't want to be that person.
How to Get Contact Lens Out of Back of Eye: Step by Step
Before you do anything, wash your hands. Use plain soap. No lotions, no heavy perfumes, and definitely no "moisturizing" soaps that leave a film. Dry your hands with a lint-free towel. If you use a fluffy bath towel, you’re just going to put tiny fibers in your eye, and that’s going to make this whole process ten times more miserable.
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1. Rehydrate the Situation
Don't try to move a dry lens. It’s like trying to slide a suction cup across a dry table. It won't work, and you'll just irritate the tissue. Use rewetting drops or a sterile saline solution. Flood the eye. Tilt your head back and put in three or four drops. Close your eye and gently—gently—massage the eyelid. You want to get that liquid up into the pocket where the lens is hiding.
2. The Look-and-Shift Technique
This is the part that feels weird but works. If you think the lens is under your upper lid, look down as far as you can. While looking down, use your fingertip to gently press on the outside of your upper eyelid. Try to "push" the lens downward toward the center of your eye.
If it’s tucked under the bottom lid, do the opposite. Look up at the ceiling. Pull your lower lid down slightly and see if you can spot the edge of the lens. Honestly, the lower lid is way easier to deal with. If it's up top, you might need a mirror and a lot of patience.
3. The Eyelid Flip (For the Brave)
If the lens is stubbornly stuck under the upper lid, you might need to evert the lid. This sounds terrifying, but it’s a standard move for contact lens wearers. Grab a Q-tip. Place it horizontally across the middle of your upper eyelid. Hold your eyelashes and gently pull the lid up and over the Q-tip. This exposes the underside of the lid. You’ll likely see the lens sitting right there, folded over like a tiny taco. Use a drop of saline to float it off.
What Not To Do
Do not use tweezers. I shouldn't have to say that, but people get desperate. Metal or sharp plastic near your eyeball is a recipe for a trip to the actual emergency room with a corneal laceration.
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Avoid using tap water. You've probably heard this a million times, but Acanthamoeba keratitis is a real, sight-threatening infection caused by organisms found in tap water. Use saline. If you don't have saline, go to the store and buy some. It’s worth the $5 to save your vision.
Don't keep rubbing. If you've tried for fifteen minutes and nothing is happening, your eye is going to get inflamed. This inflammation creates a "foreign body sensation." Basically, your eye feels like there is something in it even after the object is gone. You might have already blinked the lens out onto the floor without realizing it, and now you're just poking an irritated, scratched eye.
When to Call the Professional
Sometimes, the lens really is stuck, or you’ve managed to irritate the eye so much that you need a pro to step in. If you experience any of the following, call your optometrist or go to an urgent care clinic:
- Extreme redness that doesn't go away after an hour.
- Persistent pain or a "sharp" feeling.
- Blurred vision that doesn't clear up after blinking.
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
- The feeling that something is still in there after you are 100% sure you removed the lens.
Optometrists have a tool called a slit lamp. It’s basically a high-powered microscope that lets them see every microscopic detail of your eye surface. They can find a hidden lens in about ten seconds. They can also check for corneal abrasions—tiny scratches on the surface of the eye. If you have a scratch, you might need antibiotic drops to prevent an ulcer. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Preventing the "Lost" Lens
If this happens to you a lot, your lenses might not fit correctly. Lenses that are too flat or too tight for your eye's specific curvature are more likely to dislodge. Talk to your eye doc about the "base curve" of your lenses.
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Also, stay hydrated. If your eyes are chronically dry, that lens is going to stick to your eyelid like glue. Use preservative-free artificial tears throughout the day, especially if you spend hours looking at a computer screen. When we stare at screens, we blink 60% less often. Less blinking means less moisture, and less moisture means your contact lens is going to start looking for a way out.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're reading this while the lens is currently MIA:
- Stop touching your eye immediately. Give it a five-minute break to let the natural tear film recover.
- Check your surroundings. Lean over a sink (with the drain plugged!) or a dark towel and blink rapidly. The lens might just fall out.
- Use more saline than you think you need. Gravity and lubrication are your best friends here.
- Check the "ghost" sensation. If the eye is red and scratchy, but you can't see the lens, it might be gone. Look at the floor, your shirt, or your lashes.
- Apply a cold compress. Once the lens is out, your eye will feel "weird." A cold, clean washcloth over closed lids will reduce swelling and calm the nerves.
The most important thing to remember is that you are not going blind and the lens is not in your brain. It’s just a bit of misplaced plastic. Take a deep breath, find some saline, and be patient with yourself. Your eye is a resilient organ, but it doesn't like being bullied. Treat it gently, and that lens will eventually reappear.
References:
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - "Can a Contact Lens Get Lost Behind My Eye?"
- Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists (CLAO) - Clinical Guide to Contact Lens Complications.
- Journal of Optometry - Patient safety and contact lens displacement protocols.