Getting Used To Contacts: 9 Perfectly Normal Symptoms For New ...

Let's face it: almost nobody has perfect vision these days. Three out of every four adults need some form of corrective lenses to function in their daily lives (Source: Visioncouncil.org).

But glasses can be annoying to the modern, always-on-the-go consumer. We drop them, misplace them, sit on them. And even if you take great care of your lenses, any experienced wearer knows that glasses are almost impossible to keep clean and smudge-free.

Luckily, there's a solution to our glasses-wearing woes. Contacts have been around longer than anyone might care to believe, and today's soft lenses are a whole lot more comfortable than our parents' and grandparents' gas permeable hard contact lenses.

Getting Used to Contacts

But even though contact lenses are more comfortable than the options twenty years ago, it can still take your eyes some time to adjust. If your eyes aren't quite sure what to make of your new contact lenses, don't worry! Here are some totally normal symptoms you might experience while adjusting to contacts.

1. A Wandering Lens

Contact lenses may move around on your eye before settling into place. The natural fluids in the eye are to blame! Don't worry too much -- a well-fitted contact will conform to your eye's shape after a short period of adjustment.

Astigmatism can also cause a contact lens to move out of place on the eye. The toric lens will correct astigmatism, but your vision may blur or cloud if the lens moves too much. A few blinks or some eye drops should correct the problem.

2. Tearing Up

Contacts are a foreign object on your eye. Even though the lenses are there to help, your eyes may react as if they're an errant eyelash or speck of dust. Eyes tear naturally to flush out debris.

If you wear makeup regularly, you might want to invest in some waterproof mascara so you don't look like a raccoon! But otherwise, just wait a little while. Once your eyes get used to the presence of the lenses, the excessive tears will go away.