For contact lens wearers, the sudden disappearance of a lens often triggers a moment of panic and the classic fear that it has slipped into the back of the eye. This anxiety is understandable, as the sensation of a dislodged lens can be unsettling and make the lens feel completely lost within the eye socket. While a contact lens may move significantly out of position, causing irritation and discomfort, the good news is that the common fear of a lens migrating behind the eyeball is anatomically unfounded. Understanding the physical structure of the eye confirms that the lens can only travel within the front-facing area of the eye.
The Physical Impossibility
The anatomy of the eye includes a natural barrier that makes it impossible for a contact lens to get stuck behind the eyeball. This protective structure is a thin, transparent membrane called the conjunctiva, which acts as a continuous sheet. The conjunctiva covers the white part of the eye, known as the sclera, and then folds back to line the entire inner surface of the eyelids.
This continuous folding forms a closed pocket, often referred to as the cul-de-sac or fornix, effectively sealing off the front of the eye from the orbital socket. The lens can only move within the space created by this membrane and the front surface of the eye. Therefore, regardless of how erratically the lens shifts, it cannot pass this anatomical boundary and migrate into the space behind the globe.
The deepest point a lens can travel is into the fornix, which is the loose fold of the conjunctiva located beneath the upper or lower eyelid. While a lens lodged here can feel lost and cause irritation, it is still physically on the front of the eye and easily retrievable. The conjunctiva is designed to prevent foreign objects, including contact lenses and debris, from reaching the back of the eye.
Where Lost Lenses Actually Go
When a contact lens feels lost, it has not vanished but has simply migrated from its central position on the cornea. The most common location for a dislodged lens is high up under the upper eyelid, especially if you rub your eye or look sharply in an upward direction. The lens can become temporarily trapped in the superior fornix, which is the deepest recess of the conjunctival pocket.
In other cases, the lens may have dried out while still centered on the cornea, causing it to stiffen and adhere tightly to the eye’s surface. This adherence makes the lens feel stuck and nearly impossible to pinch off easily, leading to the mistaken belief that it is somehow fused to the eye.
Alternatively, the lens may have folded in half and slipped far down beneath the lower eyelid, where it can still cause a foreign body sensation without being immediately visible. A lens may also have fallen out entirely, with the lingering irritation being caused by minor corneal abrasion or a piece of debris that was trapped underneath the lens before it came out. If the lens is not immediately visible on the colored part of the eye, it is almost certainly tucked away in one of these eyelid recesses.
The natural movement of the eye and the gentle action of blinking usually work to push the lens back toward the center of the eye.
Removing a Stuck Lens Safely
The first step in removing a stuck lens is to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel. Once your hands are clean, apply several drops of sterile saline solution or contact lens rewetting drops into the affected eye. This lubrication is often sufficient to rehydrate a dried-out soft lens or loosen the suction of a gas-permeable lens.
Allow the solution to sit for a few moments, then close your eye and gently massage your eyelid in a circular motion to encourage the lens to shift. If you know the lens is stuck under the upper eyelid, look down while gently massaging the upper lid to help slide the lens toward the center of the eye. Conversely, if it is under the lower lid, look upward while gently manipulating the lower lid.
Once the lens has visibly moved back onto the cornea, you can remove it using the standard pinching technique. If the lens is still resisting, try looking in the opposite direction of the lens’s location to open up the conjunctival pocket. For example, if the lens is stuck on the right side of the eye, look to the left, which will give you better access to the dislodged lens.
When to Consult an Eye Doctor
While most stuck lenses can be safely removed at home, there are specific signs that indicate the need for professional medical intervention. If you experience severe, persistent eye pain that does not subside after the lens is removed, you should seek immediate care. This pain may be a symptom of a corneal abrasion, which is a scratch on the surface of the eye.
Other concerning symptoms include sudden or significant changes in your vision, such as blurriness or increased sensitivity to light. Excessive redness, swelling, or the presence of an unusual discharge from the eye can indicate a developing infection, such as keratitis, which requires prompt treatment. If you are unable to locate the lens after multiple calm, gentle attempts at removal, an eye doctor can use specialized tools to safely retrieve it without causing further damage.