Question
Dr. Johnston: When eyes get red, but they are not itchy nor do they hurt, what can that mean if the person is using monthly soft contact lenses? I know a lot of people get allergic to certain solutions or even the contacts themselves, but wouldn't their eyes be itchy or something? I have red eyes but they feel normal. It's just that they are red. What can that mean?
Answer
Not everyone has the same symptoms for the same condition, so just because you don't have itching does not necessarily rule out a solution problem. However, of course there are other possibilities - the contact lens fit could be at fault - they could be too tight for example. Or it could be that your eyes are not getting enough oxygen. Or it could also be a condition called "Clare" - Contact Lens Induced Red Eye. This would be more probable if you sleep in your lenses but could happen whether you do or not.
If you have already tried another solution and still your eyes are red, a visit to your eye doctor is in order to determine the cause. The red eye issue must be resolved because there could be serious results if the problem is allowed to persist. In all cases, you must absolutely not sleep in your contact lenses (if you have been doing so) and you should keep your hours of wear time very low each day until the problem is resolved.
