Question
QUESTION: Hi Dr. Johnson, I have biofinity contact lenses right now and when I wear them, there's no irritation or my eyes are not itchy or watery. It's just that they make my eyes slightly more pink than usual after a couple hours of wear. Is that suppose to be normal? I noticed pink vessels around the whites of my eyes (both of them) and I'm wondering if that's suppose to be normal? When I take out my contact lenses, my eyes are still somewhat pink. When I wake up (I don't ever wear contacts to sleep), I notice they have slightly pink stuff on it, and then when I wear contacts it just gets a bit more pink. There are times when it's been red. I'm not sure if my eyes are dry or it's a contact lense issue. Also, I was thinking of using eye drops, but which kind of eye drops are the best for redness relief? I heard that you have to be careful because the eye drops and the solution for the contacts should be "compatible", yet when I take out my contacts, wouldn't any eye drop be fine? What would be compatible with biofinity contact lenses? Sorry for all those questions, i thought I would kill 2 birds in one stone. Thank you.
ANSWER: If your contact lenses give you any symptom at all, there could be a problem with the fit. They are not supposed to make your eyes red, or pink or dry or itchy or anything. So no, pink vessels around the whites of your eyes is not normal and should be re-evaluated by your eye doctor. You can try a contact lens lubricant to see if that helps but if your contact lenses are still making your eyes pink, a trip to your eye doctor is in order.
Eye drops for redness relief are not the best idea - it is better to figure out the cause of the redness and eliminate it. the reason for this is that all the "get the red out" drops contain a chemical called a vasoconstrictor. this ingredient makes the blood vessels shrink artificially, so your eyes do not look red, but it does not fix anything. Unfortunately, when the chemical wears off there is often a rebound effect and the eyes get redder than before so this makes you reach for more drops - and leads to a vicious cycle. Those drops are good only for one thing - if your eyes are red and you have the most important appointment, interview, date or whatever of the year and you have to look perfect that day - go ahead and use them. Day after day use is not advisable. You can always use artificial tears however, contact lenses or no. There are several unpreserved brands - they come in a small vial that you discard after one use. These really never cause a problem - but they also are unlikely to get the red out. There is no specific contraindication with using any particular drops with Biofinity lenses. But if you choose an contact lens lubricant instead of an artificial tear, it should be of the same brand as your contact lens solution so you are not exposing yourself to too many chemicals.
but again, I would focus on eliminating the cause for the pink or redness, rather than trying to cover it up with drops.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Dr. Johnson, thanks for your kind answers. I thought that after wearing contact lenses for awhile, the eyes will be a bit more pink or red, wouldn't it due to the lack of oxygen? The reason I ask all of this is because my eyes are still a bit pink when the contact lenses are taken out. It'll still be red or pink for a couple of hours. If that is the case, can contact lenses be the cause?
What are the consequences of having constant pink vessels around the whites of the eyes if contacts are to be worn at the same time? Also, in your opinion, is clear care solution better or optifree replenish? What are their main differences? thank you!
Answer
Certainly contact lenses can be the cause of your eyes remaining red or pink for a few more hours after you remove the contact lenses. But it may not be lack of oxygen, there are other possibilities, best evaluated by your eye doctor.
There is no way to know the "consequences" of the pink vessels without knowing their cause. If it is from lack of oxygen, you will eventually grow blood vessels into your cornea (called neovascularization) which can ultimately ruin your vision. If it is because you are allergic to your solution or even the contact lens material, your symptoms will increase over time and your ability to wear contact lenses may be curtailed.
Clear care is best IF you are allergic to the preservative in Optifree Replenish or if your eyes form a lot of deposits. Optifree is fine otherwise. The main difference between them is that with Clear Care, you must leave the lenses to soak in the case provided with the solution for a minimum of six hours. This allows the Clear Care (which is a form of peroxide) to 1) kill the germs and 2) get transformed - by the metal disc in the case - into saline by the morning. If you were to try and reinsert your lenses before that six hour soak, you could do severe damage to your eyes. But by the time you put your contact lenses in in the morning, the Clear Care system is not exposing you to any chemicals. The Optifree on the other hand, while easier to use, does expose your eyes to the chemicals it contains.
