Can a contact lens get stuck behind my eye?

While the eye is certainly a very delicate and complex part of the body, it's still very well protected. Unwanted foreign bodies like dust or eyelashes are simply washed away by tears, or pushed against the conjunctiva, the soft pink tissue which completely surrounds the eyeball, until they find their own way out.

Contact lenses are designed to aid in this process, offering a smooth, even surface that allows those dust particles to fall away. But even if the lenses become dislodged and stuck to the surface of the eyeball (e.g. if you take a nasty fall during a sport), you can be rest assured that the conjunctiva simply won't allow the lens to fall behind the eyeball and out of reach.

Usually, it's more common for a soft contact lens to get stuck on the surface rather than a gas permeable lens, but there's a chance it can, too. It's important to note, however, that the method of removing a hard permeable lens is somewhat different.

If you wear contact lenses that are gas permeable, and one gets stuck, don't massage the eyelid, as this can cause abrasion to the eye. The best way forward is to reach out to your optician, and under their guidance, use a small 'suction cup' device to gently pull the lens from the surface.

If the lens is stuck on the white of the eye, use the pad of your fingertip to gently press your eye just outside the edge of the lens to break the suction that is keeping the contact stuck in the eye.

• It's essential to always take your lenses out before going to sleep, unless you're wearing extended wear lenses, under the guidance of your optician. Sleeping with your lenses prevents oxygen from reaching the cornea, causing you to wake up with uncomfortable, dry eyes, and possibly a stuck contact lens. Say you do accidentally nod off with your lenses in, don't take them out straight away. Instead, massage your eyes to naturally produce moisture, drink lots of water for rehydration and apply some eye drops to act as artificial tears.
• Two-weekly and monthly lens wearers must maintain a good eye care routine, involving storing and cleaning their lenses in a multi-purpose solution every night, so they’re thoroughly disinfected from harmful bacteria and less likely to get dislodged.
• Never shower or swim with your contact lenses, as water whether it's from the sea, a river or tap water can contaminate them with bacteria and cause them to lose their original shape.
• New contact lens wearers should check out our handy video tutorials for applying and removing their lenses. By implementing these popular methods, you can get more comfortable and confident with the techniques.