Can you wear contat lenses with conjunctivitis?

Our eyes are fragile and can regularly develop fatigue, irritation or infection.
From one day to the next, contact lens wearers can be faced, for example, with the onset of conjunctivitis.
It is therefore understandable to wonder whether it is still possible to wear your visual aids when conjunctivitis has appeared.

All about conjunctivitis

Also known as pink or red eye, conjunctivitis is a very common eye condition.
It refers to an inflammation of a part of the eye known as the conjunctiva, the inner membrane of the eyelids.
Conjunctivitis can take four forms, depending on whether its origin is bacterial, viral, allergic or irritative.
As a result, the white part of the eye becomes red, hence the nickname pink or red eye.
Conjunctivitis can be very unpleasant to deal with, as it can cause a number of discomforts.
It generally causes the eyes to itch, sting or even feel like grains of sand.
The eyes become watery, more sensitive to light and vision is blurred.
In some cases, the inflammation of the eye can also cause discharge, which may be purulent or clear.
Conjunctivitis can also cause swelling of the eyelid and create the effect of a small, closed eye, which is often the case when it is allergic.
The eye condition is only contagious if it is triggered by bacteria or a virus.

Can I still wear my contact lenses with conjunctivitis?

Contact lenses are a special type of visual equipment, in that they are placed directly on the eye.
For this reason, it is strongly recommended to stop wearing contact lenses as soon as conjunctivitis appears.
Indeed, as mentioned above, the inflammation has many repercussions on the eyes.
They are then no longer able to wear visual equipment, particularly when an oedema has formed on the eyelid.
In addition, the eye affected by conjunctivitis is generally very itchy, and rubbing could displace the contact lens.
In the case of disposable contact lenses, it's best to throw them away and put in new ones once the infection is gone.
Besides, disposable contact lenses are recommended for people who are particularly prone to conjunctivitis.
For other types of contact lenses, make sure you change the solution and clean the case in which you put them to avoid reinfection.
And lastly, the eye will heal better and faster from conjunctivitis if it is left to rest.
In the vast majority of cases, conjunctivitis poses no danger to the eyes or vision, but it is essential to treat it properly.
Once the conjunctivitis has been treated, usually with eye drops, and healed, the contact lenses can be put back in as usual.
It should be noted that contact lenses cannot be the actual cause of conjunctivitis.