Do eye contacts hurt?

It depends on if you’re the type of person that greats freaked out by touching your eye. Putting them on for the first time will take adjusting to, for some it’s quick and easy to get used to, others need practice. They’re comfortable, newer ones allow for you to keep them on for days at a time without removing them. I prefer the kind you remove and store in a case over the night, or the disposable weekly and daily ones. If you’re feeling adventurous, try ones with color effects. Though they may feel differently than clear ones, they’re still reasonably comfortable and fun.

I wore contacts for a year, but I’m one of those people who gets freaked out about touching near my eyes. I don’t wear eye makeup often, either. When I managed to get contacts in, they didn’t hurt until about 9 or 10 hours later, and I’d just put eye drops in until I could remove them. Taking them out was scarier for me than putting them in.

After a while, I felt the cleaning and the protein issues and all that were too much of a hassle, so I went back to glasses full time. But I get nice specs that suit my face, so I don’t think I’ve lessened my looks at all.

A lot of people i know would rather wear contacts than glasses. You should probably just try them out. If you don’t like them, you could just continue wearing your glasses. It’s worth a try. =D

I wear contacts frequently, and the only time they hurt is if I accidentally get a little piece of lint in them when I’m putting them in or something. If I rinse them again, they’re totally fine, and when I wear them, I typically wear them all day – usually 14+ hrs.

It usually depends on how sensitive one’s eyes are to touch, and levels of dryness. If you have dry eyes you’ll likely have a difficult time with contacts.
When you do decide to get fitted for contact lenses for the first time I would suggest making an appointment with an opthamologist, as opposed to an optometrist. I would also suggest asking him/her about rigid gas permeable lenses.

In my experience soft lenses don’t hurt. But every day for the first two weeks I ended up crying in frustration trying to put the damn things in. However I loved having periphial vision so much I barely took them out until I got laser surgery.

I was just talking to the eye doctor about getting them and she suggested disposable soft ones, that way no chemicals involved to clean, just toss them out. I have astigmatism but she said the soft ones work fine even for that condition.
@astro why do you suggest rigid gas permeable ones, are they better?

According to my opthamologist they are, but not everyone can where them. If your eyes are too sensitive to touch then soft lenses are a better choice. Rigid GP lenses allow your eyes to breath and thus are better for them. That’s all I’ve ever worn. They are very comfortable. Fit is everything.

Thank you AstroChuck, I will ask the eye doc about them. I always preferred to go to an opthamologist too, but here I think you only go to them if referred by an MD. So I am going to an optometrist.

I have very dry eyes, plus I get absolutely freaked out with anything having to do with eye trauma or the touching of eyes. Strangely, perhaps, I rather like having contacts. I used to have hard contacts, but I switched to soft lenses at my new eye doctor’s advice after suffering a corneal abrasion because of the ineptitude of my now ex-eye doctor (he [1] botched several lens-fittings, which I was trying to get corrected through multiple re-visits and re-fittings, and [2] had told me that my dry eyes and allergies meant I couldn’t use soft lenses, which the new doctor informed me was a load of hooey).

Also, contacts will hurt for a while after you get them. You’ll have to build up how long you can keep them in at a time. At least, that’s how it was when I got my hard contacts. The process may be different for soft ones if you start with them, rather than starting with hard contacts and then an eye injury and multiple weeks with a patch.

So, all that (a personal mortification at the very idea of contacts before ever having them, followed by some actual pain and injury), and I love having contacts. I recommend them.

They do hurt if you wear them longer than specified. I can wear mine for about 12 hours, but find myself most of the time wearing them longer than that. But thank god I only have to wear one, so the other eye doesn’t hurt. lol.

I have both. I mostly wear contacts. But, they irritate my eyes. I have no idea. It is not dry eyes, and I have been doing the best I can to fix it.
I am wearing glasses now, only because it is morning, Saturday, and I am going nowhere just yet.

No, they don’t hurt regularly. However they can get dry and then you really notice them on your eyes. As well, if you get a piece of sand or dust on the lens, it will certainly hurt your eye (but you’ll notice this so quickly you’ll take the lens out and clean it off before it has any chance to do serious damage).

once you get used to touching your eyes, it’s cake. they feel like nothing. if you’re tired, or they’re in longer than they are supposed to be, your eyes can get a little dry and feel a little uncomfortable, like itchy. i wear glasses at home just because to me, wearing glasses is like having my pajamas on when i get home. i wear contacts when i’m out (i look better with contacts). by the way, when i started wearing contacts when i was 18, which is over 20 years ago, guys started talking to me immediately, not so with glasses.

I got contacts when I was 12 so that shows how easy the get to be. The first week or so you have them they’re a little weird but after that you don’t feel them at all. Also, contacts are better because you can swim in them (just wear goggles).

i also see clearer with contacts and my eye doctor said that’s because the contacts are right up on your eye, whereas the glasses are about a half inch away.

nice! Thanks for all the info, guys. This is really helpful.

@jca: I have the opposite problem from you…I think (and my boyfriend definitely thinks) I look cuter with my glasses on! I got a trendy pair that look great, but the frame front (that holds the lenses) is a bit small…so unless I’m looking straight ahead, it’s kinda pointless. For work purposes, I think contacts would be ideal because I’m looking all over the place all the time and I hate moving my whole head just to look down :-)

i wear the one week kind which actually last about three weeks. i get them at costco, about $15 a box (six contacts =3 pairs). the nice thing is that if one rips or gets lost, just pull another out of the medicine cabinet. you need a clean sink or countertop and clean hands to put them in, that’s important.

one downside is that if you’re going to unexpectedly sleep elsewhere, and you don’t have what you need for them, you’re kind of stuck. i have been told by the eye doctor that it’s not good for your eyes to sleep in them (even the kind you’re supposed to sleep in). so if it’s snowing or something where i would have the opportunity not return home, and someone says sleep over, i’m kind of in a spot. cuz i’m blind as a bat and without either glasses or contacts i’m screwed.

It isn’t the end of the world if you get stuck having to sleep with them for a night or so, just don’t make a habit of it. I was told that your eyes can’t get as much oxygen when you do leave them in (your lenses and your eyelids between your eye and the air). Over time that makes your eyes more susceptible to infection, but one night won’t do you in. The rare time I’ve had to sleep with mine in overnight, my eyes are just really dry in the morning and I have to force myself to tear up to lubricate them.

amanda: you’re right. i am just into my comforts when i sleep, and pajamas and glasses are what it takes. if i had to i could do it.

I’m with ya there, jca. When I put my pjs on, I pop on my glasses too. :o)

I love my contacts. I use 30 day lenses.

2 monthers for me.
(1 month is the recommended use, but I am a cheapskate and usually 3 or 4 times a month I’ll wear my glasses).