Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPink Eye and ContactsPink Eye TreatmentWhen to See a ProviderWhen Is It Safe?Frequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Pink Eye and Contacts
Pink Eye Treatment
When to See a Provider
When Is It Safe?
Frequently Asked Questions
You wake up to a slightly red, puffy eye with some discharge, and you realize you likely have pink eye. But it doesn’t seem too bad, and you’re wondering what to do about your contact lenses this morning. Can you take a chance and still pop them in?
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)is an inflammation of the transparentconjunctivamembrane that covers the white part of the eye known as thesclera. When the blood vessels in the area become inflamed, they swell, and the eye appears red.
This article will discuss what to do about contact lens use when you have pink eye, your treatment options, and when to see a healthcare provider.
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Can I Wear Contacts If I Have Pink Eye?
Wearing contact lenses if you have pink eye should be avoided until your pink eye is gone. One reason is you should avoid touching your eyes if you have a viral or bacterial pink eye infection. The more you do, the more you are likely to spread the infection. This is also why you shouldn’t wear eye makeup when you have viral or bacterial pink eye.
What’s more, if you have pink eye (whatever the cause), your eye is already inflamed. Wearing contact lenses will only make this worse.
Pink Eye Treatments
Pink eye will often resolve on its own. If you are dealing with contagious pink eye, you may be given medication in certain circumstances.
Antibiotic eye drops may be prescribed if you havebacterial pink eye. While the condition may clear up without treatment, antibiotic eye drops may help it resolve in as little as two or three days.
However, antibiotic drops orointmentswill not helpviral pink eye. This condition will usually clear up without treatment in around seven to 10 days.
With any kind of pink eye, you can also try home remedies such as the following:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
You should seek treatment if:
When Is It Safe to Wear Contacts?
Once the pink eye is gone, it’s still a good idea to wait about two days before resuming contact lens use. When you do so, it’s important that you also thoroughly sterilize the case and your lenses before putting them in your eyes. If you havedisposable lenses, be sure to use a new pair.
Summary
You can get pink eye from an infection such as bacteria or a virus, allergies, or exposure to chemicals. The transparent conjunctiva becomes inflamed with this condition, and irritated blood vessels make the eye appear pink.
Contact lenses can also irritate the eyes. In the case of contagious pink eye, contacts can also spread germs. If you usually wear contact lenses, you should stop wearing them until a couple of days after the pink eye has resolved.
A Word From Verywell
Having even mild pink eye can be an issue for those who wear contact lenses. You should not wear them until after the pink eye has resolved. Fortunately, pink eye goes away on its own within a week or so, even without treatment. Then you can go back to wearing contact lenses, just as you did before.
Wearing contact lenses overnight increases your risk of corneal ulcers, which can lead to visual impairment or blindness.
Before wearing your contact lenses again you should not only wait for your pink eye to fully resolve but also give the eye a couple of extra days to heal. When you begin to use them again, make sure to first thoroughly sterilize the lenses as well as the case. You don’t want to reintroduce germs to the eye.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye (conjunctivitis): causes.Stanford Health Care.Pink eye treatment.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Can I wear contact lenses while I have pink eye?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Conjunctivitis (pink eye): treatment.National Eye Institute.Treatment for pink eye.Cope JR, Konne NM, Jacobs DS, et al.Corneal infections associated with sleeping in contact lenses — six cases, United States, 2016–2018.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:877–881. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6732a2Food and Drug Administration.Focusing on contact lens safety.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye (conjunctivitis): causes.Stanford Health Care.Pink eye treatment.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Can I wear contact lenses while I have pink eye?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Conjunctivitis (pink eye): treatment.National Eye Institute.Treatment for pink eye.Cope JR, Konne NM, Jacobs DS, et al.Corneal infections associated with sleeping in contact lenses — six cases, United States, 2016–2018.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:877–881. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6732a2Food and Drug Administration.Focusing on contact lens safety.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye (conjunctivitis): causes.Stanford Health Care.Pink eye treatment.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Can I wear contact lenses while I have pink eye?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Conjunctivitis (pink eye): treatment.National Eye Institute.Treatment for pink eye.Cope JR, Konne NM, Jacobs DS, et al.Corneal infections associated with sleeping in contact lenses — six cases, United States, 2016–2018.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:877–881. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6732a2Food and Drug Administration.Focusing on contact lens safety.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye (conjunctivitis): causes.
Stanford Health Care.Pink eye treatment.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Can I wear contact lenses while I have pink eye?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Conjunctivitis (pink eye): treatment.
National Eye Institute.Treatment for pink eye.
Cope JR, Konne NM, Jacobs DS, et al.Corneal infections associated with sleeping in contact lenses — six cases, United States, 2016–2018.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:877–881. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6732a2
Food and Drug Administration.Focusing on contact lens safety.
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