Do you find that your eyes often feel irritated as a contact lens wearer? It can sometimes be tough to pinpoint exactly what is causing the irritation. Here's a look at four mistakes that you may be making, which could be contributing to your eye irritation.  

Mistake #1: Putting on cosmetics or perfumes after inserting your lenses.

If even the tiniest amount of eyeliner, eyeshadow, perfume vapor, or another cosmetic accidentally gets in your eye, your contact lens can essentially trap that product near your eye for an extended period of time, causing irritation. You might not even notice that you get the perfume or eyeliner in your eye, but your eyes might be itchy or irritated for hours until your tears finally flush it out. Play it safe by always applying all of your cosmetics before inserting your lenses. And wash your hands in between applying cosmetics and inserting your lenses, too!

Mistake #2: Not changing your lens solution every day.

As your lens solution sits, water evaporates out of it. Salts, bacteria, and other solids are left behind. When you just "top up" your container of storage solution, these extra solids from the day before are left behind. Essentially, topped-off solution containers contain higher concentrations of solids than what is healthy for your eyes. Store your lenses in these solutions and your eyes may itch and become uncomfortable when you put them in. Remember to change your solution completely each and every day.

Mistake #3: Not changing your furnace air filter.

This might sound rather unrelated to your eyes at first but think about it. When your furnace air filter is clogged with debris and not doing its job, there are a lot more dust particles and dust mites floating around in the air. These accumulate on the surface of your lenses, causing eye irritation. Change your furnace filter per manufacturer instructions (often this must be done monthly), and your indoor air – and contacts – with stay cleaner.

Mistake #4: Sitting in front of an air vent or draft.

If there's constantly a stream of air blowing on your face, this will dry your lenses out and make your eyes feel irritated. If your desk is near an air vent or you otherwise spend a lot of your day near an air vent, find a way to move. Move your desk so it faces a different direction, or adjust the vent so it shoots the air down towards your feet rather than directly at your face. 

For further assistance, contact a local optometrist, such as one from White Rock Optometry Clinic.